Trouble Through Time
by Yoshichao
Summary: To his dismay, MI6 forces Alex on another mission out of the country. He discovers a time machine and travels back two years ago; before Artemis Fowl the II discovered the existence of the People. Spy and genius, what does their journey hold?
1. Riders, Riders, Everywhere!

_Scorpia has targeted Alex once again. To his dismay, MI6 helps him by sending him on another mission outside of the country. He pays a visit to Alec Rider the Second; an anonymous billionaire whose parents died unknowingly two years ago. During his investigation, Alex stumbles upon a time machine that brings him back two years ago to India, where he meets twelve year old Artemis Fowl, who is in search of the People. Fowl is contacted by the same people Alex was to investigate in the present day - the Riders - and is informed they have info on the People. With his manservant; Butler, Artemis, and Alex travel to the manor shrouded in mystery to clear up the endless amount of questions . . ._

**I plan to rewrite this in the future, adding more content (mainly actiony goodness). So suggest things you think may work/want to see and I'll try to incorporate them in the story.  
**

Hello fellow readers! The other day I was rereading the Artemis Fowl series and continuing with the Alex Rider series when I thought, HEY! I SHOULD MAKE A CROSSOVER FANFIC! And so, this was born.

Just so you know, if you want to be up-to-date on everything, read all the Alex Rider books except the ones after Snakehead. For Artemis Fowl, it might help to read the first book though it isn't needed.

This basically takes places after Snakehead for Alex Rider and before the first book for Artemis Fowl.

Unfortunately, I don't own Alex Rider OR Artemis Fowl (If I did, you'd see a crossover novel by now, and this story would be better than it is). However, I own everyone that's NOT Alex Rider, Artemis Fowl, MI6/Scorpia, or Butler. Although, if you're reading this, you probably have read Fowl + Rider and know what's mine and not mine. :p

* * *

**East London, England**

Alex Rider longed to be a normal teenager. Unfortunately, being forced to work as a spy wasn't very normal.

Alex seemed ordinary enough. He was a fourteen year old boy with short fair hair and a face that would probably attract plenty of girls. He had dark brown eyes and was slim and well-built. However, if you were to look into his eyes, you would notice they seemed more mature, as if he's seen things that drastically changed his life.

It had started when his uncle died. He ended up discovering his uncle was actually a spy working for a secret intelligence group called "MI6". Soon after, he found himself getting caught up with this group as well.

So far, MI6 had sent him on four missions. The first was stopping a virus from killing school children through a new computer. The next was where he was sent to a boarding school for delinquents where he discovered clones were being made of the children. The third was Alex stopping a nuclear bomb. The last mission was where Alex had to stop Washington D.C. from getting destroyed from a newly created "space hotel".

However, between the third and fourth missions, Alex had worked on his own. The first was where he stopped a multi-billionaire from using missiles to blow up multiple locations of the world. The next was where the boy had payed a visit to a criminal organization to get news about his father and stop them from murdering thousands of schoolchildren in London.

And his latest mission involved Alex working with the Australian Secret Intelligence Service where he encountered the criminal organization once more and his godfather, who is actually the one who killed Alex's parents. He died shortly after, unfortunately so he didn't get to ask much more.

At this time his his life, Alex had had enough.

The teenage boy was riding his bike through the city of London. He was only barely aware of his surroundings as he was reminded of the bullet wound in his chest. Shortly before his sixth adventure, he had been shot by a member of the criminal organization "Scorpia". This was the same organization he had keep getting tangled with.

Alex turned into a narrow alleyway, knowing it was a shortcut to his home. Due to the sudden narrowness, he began to slow down a bit. Suddenly, a gunshot rang throughout the air and a bullet flew right over his head and into the ground in front of him. Alex didn't need an invitation to pedal faster.

Someone wanted him dead. _Again._

Alex's first assumption was Scorpia. If they discovered he was still alive, they would obviously want to kill him. However, his sniper could've been anyone, like some random serial killer.

For Alex, this seemed extremely unlikely.

The teenage boy completely dismissed the idea of heading home. If he was being followed, they would know where he lived. So instead, Alex began riding towards a bank with the name of "Royal & General Bank".

Now, if you were someone who was being chased by a gunman or anyone for that matter, your first choice of hiding probably wouldn't be a bank. However, this was no ordinary bank. In fact, it wasn't really a bank at all. Rather, this was the headquarters of the British intelligence agency "MI6".

Normally, Alex would never come to this place. He never wanted to be a spy but MI6 had a way of blackmailing him into doing it. He prayed they wouldn't do it again, not in the mood to save the world again.

Upon entering, Alex saw a woman. She was middle-aged and was thin. She had black eyes and short black hair that was amateurishly cut. The woman was wearing all gray and seemed to be sucking on something.

This was Mrs. Jones, deputy head of MI6 Special Operations. Alex had seen her multiple times before being sent out on a mission.

"Alex," Mrs. Jones said, Alex able to smell the peppermint on her breath as he approached, "What a coincidence. Mr. Blunt wanted to see you."

"If it's another assignment, I'm not going," Alex responded. Besides, he had his own problem.

"Please, Alex," Mrs. Jones insisted, beginning to walk further into the bank. Alex sighed and followed along, not having much of a choice.

The duo entered Room 1605, which resided on floor sixteen. Sitting behind a desk was a man with an expressionless look on his face as Alex came in.

"I've brought him, Mr. Blunt."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jones." the man replied.

Alan Blunt was the chief executive of Special Operations. He has gray hair, gray eyes, gray lips, and a gray suit. He wore steel-rimmed spectacles that had thick lenses. Alex couldn't remember a time where this man had showed any emotion.

Blunt looked at Alex with his gray eyes. "Alex, the situation you're in is rather unfortunate. Fortunately, the sniper didn't follow you here."

"How do you know?"

Blunt looked over at the window behind him. "I saw the incident from my office."

Alex glanced behind Alan Blunt and saw the alley exit he had raced out of. He began to wonder where the gunman went if he didn't follow him.

Blunt continued, "We've decided it's not safe for you to stay in London, for the moment. Don't worry, we've already decided on a place for you to go."

"No," Alex said flatly, "This is another mission you're sending me out on. I refuse to go."

"Alex," Mrs. Jones protested, "You could have a member of Scorpia after you. You survived a bullet once, you might not be lucky the second time."

Alex remembered the day he walked out of this very building and was shot. It wasn't a great experience, really.

Mrs. Jones continued, "Also, those close to you may be targeted. Your caretaker could be in danger right now for all you know."

Alex thought hard. Jack Starbright was his legal caretaker after his uncle died. She was the closest Alex had to a friend since the whole spy business made him absent from school for long periods of time, drawing him away from his friends.

Eventually, Alex let out a sigh, knowing he had no other choice.

"Fine. I'll do it. Where am I going?"

Mr. Blunt seemed to have expected Alex to come to this decision. "It's a family in Canada. You're going to stay there for three weeks. The family is rather rich and seemed delighted to have you go stay there."

Alex didn't like the sound of this family being rich. He had dealt with many rich criminal masterminds. "The catch? There's something I'm investigating, isn't there?"

"Lately, there has been rumours of illegal dealings and dangerous weapons being spotted with the members of this family. We simply want you to watch them while you're there and report on any suspicious activity."

Well, that didn't seem like a huge job. No giant project in the making, just a few rumours. Maybe he could enjoy himself after all.

"Is there anything I need to know about the family?" Alex asked.

Mrs. Jones spoke up this time. "They're fairly wealthy and aren't all that well known, preferring to keep quiet about their accomplishments. There's a family of three, parents and a son. The two parents are inventors of sorts and are involved with many groups of people. For the last two years the family has been silent, no information floating around at all."

"Their names are Alec and Zoey Rider, their son sharing his father's name," Blunt said, making Alex widen his eyes.

"Rider . . ?" Alex confirmed, noticing the name the same as his.

"Yes," Mrs. Jones said, "But we don't know if they're related to you in a way. Their family is small and is very secretive."

Alex began to feel anxious. Did he have other family he never knew about? Well, it seemed he was going to find out soon.

"Well," Blunt announced, "Go see Smithers before you leave. He has a gadget or two for you. The plane will be departing in an hour."

-x-

Alex entered a room on the eleventh floor of the MI6 headquarters. Inside was a rather large man who was bald with a black moustache. He grinned at Alex when he saw him.

"Ah, Alex!" the man known as Smithers beamed, "Do come in! I've got just the gadget for your adventure! Unfortunately, I can't give you much since the Riders have tight security but I'm sure it will come in handy!"

The man handed Alex an ordinary-looking ring made of gold.

"Now, this ring is special. Once on your finger, if you turn it to the right, you can create a transmission between yourself and MI6. Turn it to the left and put it to your ear to amplify your hearing. However, careful to not drop the ring! Once it hits the ground, smoke will be released and it will let off a mini-explosion! Once it explodes, we'll receive a record of when and where it exploded. Don't worry though, the ring should still be intact afterwards."

Alex slipped the ring on his finger. He didn't really like it but at least it fit. "Is that it?"

"I'm afraid so, my boy. I wish you luck on your mission! Don't get caught in something too crazy, alright?"

Alex nodded and left the room. He really hoped the world wouldn't fall on his shoulders. Again.

* * *

And so the adventure begins. Thanks for reading! See you next time in chapter two!


	2. Family?

**Plot so far:** Alex has been targeted by a sniper and was sent to Canada by MI6 to investigate possible illegal offenses. There's a strange similarity between his last name and theirs. Coincidence? Maybe. Let's find out!

* * *

**Oshawa, Canada**

The Rider home was impossible to miss if you knew what you were looking for. It stood out on the street it was on by surrounding itself with a black gate and by being the largest house on the street. "House" wasn't the word for it. "Mansion" seemed too small as well. It was obvious someone wealthy lived there.

Alex was dropped off in front of the "house" by a car late at night. He set all of his bags down and looked at the gate that towered over him. It didn't seem to have a lock on it. _Kind of careless_, Alex thought. He pushed the gate open which opened effortlessly without a sound. He grabbed the few bags he had and walked towards the manor along the stone path. The grass appeared to be recently cut and was a healthy green.

The boy stopped at the door of the Rider household and inhaled deeply. He had no idea about what lied on the other side of this door. These people could've been his family for all he knew.

Before he could knock or anything, the door opened up and a teenager around his age stood there grinning happily. The first thing Alex noticed was the kid's spiky blue hair. It almost seemed natural. The teen had emerald green eyes and a slightly built body with slightly tanned skin.

"You're the kid who's staying here, right?" the teenager asked. Alex nodded and the kid took his bags and set them inside. He let Alex in to look at his surroundings.

The interior of the manor was massive with loads of empty space. The floor tiles were made of a polished, dark brown wood and the walls were made of dull white stone. To his left he could see a room with a large TV and to his right there was a kitchen. In front of him was a staircase that led to a second floor.

The teen seemed to have caught Alex looking around. "Don't worry; you'll get a tour later. By the way, I'm Alec Rider, the owner of this property."

Alex's eyes widened as he looked at the one in front of him. "But there's no way you could be older than fifteen . . !"

Alec laughed. "I'm fourteen, actually. My parents passed a few years back and left behind their will. I'm the legal owner of the Rider heirloom and I don't need anyone to look after me."

Alex suddenly felt confused. Could a fourteen year old be making illegal dealings without getting caught? And handling dangerous weapons? Well, he had the money for it but Alex was starting to doubt MI6's reasoning. And they had said the parents lived here too. Something doesn't add up . .

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to know the name of my guest if that's alright with you," Alec said, watching Alex closely.

A thought struck Alex. What would his name be? MI6 didn't mention him needing to use a false name. But if his boy really was responsible for illegal activity, using his real name could put suspicion on himself if it was known he was a spy.

However, he could be related . . .

"My name is Alex," the teenager announced, taking the risk, "Alex Rider."

"Rider? Didn't you come from England?" Alec asked. He seemed just as confused as Alex was.

"Um, that's right," Alex said, "But I don't know if I'm related to you at all. Maybe the names just happen to be the same."

Alec looked at Alex curiously, as if he was trying to figure something out. He eventually sighed and started grabbing a number of Alex's bags.

"Well, father never told me much about my relatives. I never even knew my grandparents. Ah well. This mystery can be solved at another time, right? C'mon, I'll take you to the guest room."

Alex followed Alec up the stairs and to the second floor. There was a narrow hallway with multiple doors. Alec took a left and opened the door at the very end of the hall. He dropped the bags inside and let Alex in to take a look around.

"Well, this is where you'll sleep. If you need anything, just ask."

The room was rather clean and large. There was a Queen-sized bed and a plasma screen TV across from said bed. There was another door that led to a bathroom, a closet, a mini-fridge, a fireplace, and a small desk in the corner.

"This is nice," was all Alex managed to say. His first impression of Alec was a good one. He seemed really friendly and generous. Although, he had met people like that before and they had turned out to be murderers.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here," Alec said, smiling like an idiot, "I'll give you the tour of the place tomorrow. Make yourself at home for now since you're probably tired from the plane ride. If you need me, I'll be in my room. It's the one in front of the stairs."

Alec walked out of the room and let the door shut behind him. Alex began looking around the room for anything that could possibly be a camera or wiretap. His search came up empty.

The teenage "spy" doubted MI6 even more now. For one, it seemed the place's security was horrible. No cameras and the gate was unlocked. Two, a boy his age owned the place. Three, MI6's info on the Riders didn't seem very "up-to-date". Alec's parents had been dead for a few years! How could they have missed that?!

Alex was beginning to feel irritated. Maybe this was the whole plan. Make him feel at home and the real Riders come out and kill him. It certainly happened before.

The boy walked out of the room quietly, noticing how all the lights but his were out. Odd. They were on just a moment ago. Did Alec turn them off? Alex shook off the thought for now, focusing on the more important purpose at hand. He was planning to look around the house.

Alex crept out of his room and opened the door closest to him. It was another guest room, identical to the one he was staying in. He quietly shut the door and walked past Alec's room to the other side of the hall. At the end of the hall was another door. Alex opened it carefully.

Inside was another bedroom but it was larger than the guest rooms. There was more furniture but most of it was similar to what was inside his room. There was also two bathrooms, two closets, a Queen-sized bed, and one large desk pushed against the wall. The boy deduced this was where Alec's parents used to sleep.

Alex shut the door and walked towards the stairs. Apparently, the second floor was all bedrooms. Two guest rooms, Alec's room, and another room that is currently unoccupied. He crept down the stairs slowly, careful to not make a sound.

From where he was standing, he could see four doors. One led to the TV room he saw earlier and another was beside a window-like hole in the wall that revealed the kitchen. Alex walked over to the door beside the TV room and carefully opened it.

This room had racks of alcohol and a stage at the back. There were multiple tables and chairs. _A bar, _Alex thought, _Though it hasn't been used recently. It's completely clean._

The cleanliness of the whole place made Alex think everything had been cleaned recently. There was not dust visible without close inspection anywhere. Though Alec was the only one who lived here. Maybe he hired a maid?

Alex left that room and walked to the door beside the kitchen. He opened it up to be greeted with a creak from the door hinges, causing Alex to freeze. He looked up at Alec's room, expecting it to open.

After what felt like an eternity, no one came. Alex sighed in relief and looked at the downward staircase in front of him. The stairs where made of wood and seemed slightly dusty. The basement, perhaps?

The teenage boy began to walk down the stairs, surprised they didn't creak under his weight. Upon reaching the bottom, he was greeted with a room larger than the ground floor of the house itself.

The basement didn't hold things like unused junk like many homes. Rather, there was a number of bowling alley lanes, two air-hockey tables, three billiard tables complete with a set of balls one through eighteen, a large multi-coloured dance floor with a disco ball and a DJ thing, and a shooting gallery. Alex squinted in the darkness and looked at the shooting gallery. It took him awhile to notice it but there was a wall of glass around the area. There were multiple targets and long range weapons such as crossbows, guns, bow and arrows. Alex went back upstairs after taking a good look at everything.

Once reaching the ground floor again, Alex was considering going to bed. But something behind the stairs caught his eye. It looked like another hallway.

Alex walked down the empty hallway and stopped at a dead end. Now what was the point of that? He ran his hand over the back wall, looking for some sort of secret or something. Something cold and metallic against the back of his head made him freeze. He slowly turned around and was face to face with Alec, who was smiling happily and holding an ordinary-looking gun in his hand.

"Eager to explore, eh?" Alec asked, dropping his arm to his side, "Don't worry, I'm used to spies and thieves snooping around here. Although, you're not here to steal, of course. Isn't that right?"

Alex gulped. Should he tell the truth? "I don't know what you're talking about. I was just looking around."

Alec laughed. "I know MI6 sent you. Though I don't remember doing anything wrong. Mind explaining?"

"Illegal dealings," Alex said slowly, "Apparently this family was suspected of such. And possession of dangerous weapons. Their info might be outdated, though. I was never told your parents died."

"That's because the murderer and I only knew about their death at the time. It was never released to the public. Although, it's been getting out over the past two years, increasing the attacks on this place. Though when you're the only one here, it's easy to distinguish another set of feet wandering through the place."

_So that's how he knew I was up. _"Your parents were murdered?" Alex asked.

"Yup," Alec answered, his smile fading slightly, "Maybe I'll tell you more about it another time. For now, we're gonna finish up this tour."

Alec smiled again and knelt down. His hand brushed against the floorboards until he pried one loose, revealing a small metal box. He removed the box to reveal a handle. Alec grabbed the handle, twisted it to the left, and pulled it. A low rumbling sound was heard behind Alex, causing him to spin around and look at the wall.

Shockingly, the wall was sliding to the side, revealing another room. The walls in this room were made of a steel blue metal and the ground was made of marble. Stacks of coins and bills were in the corners closest to the doorway while machinery decorated the opposite side of the room. Safes were spotted throughout the room as well.

"This is my parents' lab," Alec explained, walking inside. Alex followed him; examining all the machines he had never seen before, "It's also the treasury."

Alex walked over to a large machine with a door on it. He grabbed the handle and slowly pulled it open, the door feeling heavy. Alec stood beside him.

"My parents liked inventing things in their spare time. This here is a time machine, I believe. I don't think they ever finished it . . Though you can look at it if you want. I've fiddled around with it but I don't really know if it works at all."

Alex stepped inside. Alec's parents liked to invent unique ideas and things only man could dream of. Time traveling would be an amazing discovery. He closed the door behind him and the interior lit up. He could see tons of buttons and screens, showing letters and numbers that seemed to create complicated formulas. Curious, Alex flicked a number of switches and pressed a large yellow button. Something began to whir and a bright white light blinded Alex's vision.

The last thing he could clearly see before finding himself unconscious was a giant smiley face on one of the screens.

* * *

Huh. Maybe the time machine worked after all. Tune in next time to see what happens to Alex! Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Spies, Geniuses, and Time

**Plot So Far: **Alex has been sent to investigate Alec Rider. Upon arrival, Alex discovers the man is dead and only his son remains. Alex finds a time machine and is sent to who knows when . . .

* * *

**Mumbai, India, Two Years Before the Present Day**

Alex awoke to sounds of chatter. He opened his eyes and found himself in a deserted alley. He slowly stood up, feeling dizzy. Where the hell was he? And where was Alec? He walked out of the alley and was greeted by a crowd of people wandering along the street. _Well, I'm not in England or Canada . ._

As Alex tried to figure out what had happened, a car began to slowly drive though the crowd. It was black and had tinted windows. Curious and not having much else to do, Alex followed the car through the crowd.

Eventually, the car turned down a more narrow street. It eventually stopped in front of an alley and two people stepped out. One was the driver; a Eurasian bulk man with a large shaven head. He had dark blue eyes and seemed to be in his forties. Alex hoped he wouldn't have to fight this man during his time here.

The other passenger was a boy who looked a couple years younger than Alex. He had short raven black hair and had blue eyes. His skin was very pale, as if he barely went outside. The two wore rich black suits and seemed to pay no mind to the people around them.

Alex watched as the odd pair walked into the alley as if they had every right to be there. He maneuvered through the crowd and quietly followed them, having no idea what he was getting into.

* * *

The boy Alex Rider had seen was Artemis Fowl the Second, a boy with the highest tested IQ in Europe and possibly his generation. The bulky man who shadowed him was known as Butler; the boy's loyal manservant and bodyguard.

Now, the Fowl Family is an Irish criminal dynasty which dates back to at least the Norman Conquest, which has amassed a stupendous fortune through both legitimate and illegitimate excursions. Ever since his father disappeared, Artemis has been trying to regain his family fortune ever since Artemis Fowl the First invested a chunk of the fortune in finding new shipping lanes in Russia.

Following leads on the Internet, the boy discovered the existence of fairies, or, the People. He planned to find one and steal their gold, since fairies had lots of it. To do so, he posted an ad on the Internet that claimed he would pay large amounts of money if someone were to inform him about the People. So far, the responses he got had all been false. He hoped this time would actually get somewhere.

Artemis and Butler continued down the narrow alley until it led to a open dead end. The alley stretched out into a large square, which was empty except for a gang that contained seven people. Each of them had a cigar or another smoke producing item in their mouth, making Artemis scrunch up his nose in disgust.

One of the gang members grinned. Artemis assumed he was the leader, watching as he stood up straight and walked over, the rest of the gang chuckling mischievously and watching in amusement.

_Interesting, _Artemis thought, _they think they have the upper hand._

The man was tanned and tattoos covered his built arms. One of his front teeth were silver and he had a black bandanna hat that covered his hair. His eyes were too blue to match his face. He also had what seemed to be a black eye on his left eye.

"Are you serious?" the leader laughed, "It's just a stupid kid and one bodyguard!"

"But they're high class, sir," one of the other members noted. He seemed a bit chubby and was tanned. His eyes were dark brown and he was bald.

The leader chuckled and dropped the cigarette on the ground. He crushed it with his foot.

"Bhuel, a ligean seo a fháil os cionn leis. I gcás ina's an t-airgead?" he said in his poor Irish.

Artemis smirked smugly. "Don't waste your breath. We understand English just fine so please do us a favor and spare us from your awful Irish."

The gang leader gave Artemis a foul look then returned to his smirk. "Whatever. Where's the damn money we were promised?"

"My associate, Butler, has it," Artemis said, nodding at his manservant, "But I want the information before I hand it to you."

The leader snorted. "I don't think you're in the position to say that, shrimp. C'mon guys, we out number them."

The gang members chuckled as they began to step closer. Artemis didn't need to say anything; Butler was on it in a second. He stepped forward and grabbed one of the men by the shirt, causing him to struggle helplessly. He threw the man at two other men, all of them hitting the wall and leaving four left.

The leader of the gang snarled and drew a knife. He began to run at Butler, who drew his Sig Sauer, a handgun and his primary weapon. He fired at the leader, who squealed and lept out of the way after getting shot in the hand.

Before much else could occur, Artemis heard a garbage falling over in the alley him and Butler came from. He glanced over to see the lid of a trash can spinning around before stopping and laying still.

"Butler," Artemis said, "finish this up. Someone else is here."

"Gladly."

Butler shot the other men in the legs, making them fall to the ground and cry out in pain. He picked up Artemis like a football and ran back towards their car, his gun in hand. The leader of the gang cried out in a stream of swears, completely pissed. Though he was completely ignored.

Arriving at the car, Butler opened the door and threw Artemis inside and did his bomb check. He looked under and around the car, making sure nothing was placed or misplaced. Then he walked to the trunk and popped it open to find . . .

A teenage boy.

* * *

When the lid of the trunk opened, Alex thought he was dead. He saw what happened to those gang members. This man was dangerous.

Artemis walked out of the car and towards Butler when he noticed he was taking so long. "Butler, what are yo--" He stopped when he saw Alex. "Is this our little spy?"

"It seems like it," Butler replied, "What should I do with him?"

Artemis thought. He didn't know what this boy knew. He could actually be a spy for all he knew. Although, he didn't seem very dangerous. He was only a teenager.

Artemis's thoughts were interrupted by his phone going off. He fished it out of his suit pocket and looked at the number. _Strange, _the child prodigy thought, _only Butler has this number_. _And this is a long distance number too._

Artemis pondered over what to do before flipping open the phone and putting it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked, growing curious.

"Ah, Master Fowl," the voice said, coated with voice filters, "It's good to hear you've picked up. I was worried I would have to come halfway across the world just to speak with you."

"And who is this?"

"I can't say as this conversation might be traced, making it bad for the both of us. But all you need to know is I'm calling about the deal you posted online. About the People."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, Butler and Alex watching him quietly. "Is that so? How do I know you aren't lying to rob the Fowl fortune?"

The voice laughed, the filters giving it a weird tone. "Please, I don't need any of your money. I'll even tell you what I know for free."

"Then why don't you just say it now?"

"You're a smart boy, Artemis Fowl the Second. I need you to assist me with something. I've arranged a private flight to pick you up at the airport closest to your location. This should be less than hour away, in case you were curious."

Artemis smiled. This person was prepared, obviously. But everything seemed too suspicious.

The voice continued, "At the airport, you will find a plane set to Canada. Bring as many people as you want, there's tons of space. If anyone asks what you're doing there, say Alec Rider the First requested your presence."

Then the phone line went dead.

* * *

"Alec Rider the First, an anonymous billionaire. He and his wife are inventors of sorts and have many ties with people around the world. He has one son named after him. It seems they're very secretive as there's almost nothing on them."

Butler, Artemis, and Alex were all in the car. Butler was driving while Artemis was on a laptop, hacking into different intelligence agencies. Alex had been forced into the backseat, completely confused about his situation.

First, MI6 sent him on a mission to investigate Alec Rider. Upon arrival, he discovered he was dead and his son owned the Rider fortune. Now he was halfway across the world and apparently the man _was _alive.

Alex racked his brain for an answer. Before he woke up in this city, he had stepped into a time machine . . . _Did I travel through time?_

It was the only explanation he had, for the moment.

Artemis looked back at Alex from the front seat. He smiled and Alex almost thought vampire fangs would sprout from his gums. "So, let's start with simple questions. What's your name?"

No point in hiding anything. "Alex Rider. No relation to Alec Rider."

"Why are you spying on us?"

Alex shrugged. "I was curious."

Butler snorted, keeping his eyes on the streets. Artemis continued. "How much do you know?"

Alex recalled a few words he heard about the phone conversation. "You're Artemis Fowl and you want to know something about the People."

Artemis paused for a second. "Are you sure you don't know the man known as Alec Rider?"

Alex thought. If this was the past, Alec wouldn't know him at all. However, if he said no, he had no reason to be here.

"Yes," Alex lied, "My . . uncle knew him."

Artemis noted the pause in Alex's words. "Oh? And what did your uncle do for a living?"

"He was a banker. I don't know how he knew him but I met him once before."

Of course, Alex couldn't say his uncle was a spy. So he had to go with the lie his uncle told him for years.

"So, if we were to take you with us to Canada, Mr. Rider would confirm he knows you?"

Alex hoped Mr. Rider would help him if that chance ever came up. "Well, we only met once so I can't be entirely sure. I don't know how close he was to my uncle either."

"I see," Artemis muttered, returning to his laptop. Alex resumed to sitting in silence for the rest of the car ride.

* * *

The trio arrived at the airport in less than an hour. Butler had called Juliet and instructed her to stay back and look after the Fowl Manor. They didn't bother to return home for more bags as they didn't plan to stay for long. Alex was thrilled about coming along, knowing he could return to his own time with the time machine.

He just hoped it would be built.

The three left the rental car and examined their surroundings. Artemis was able to spot a black plane with a number of men positioned around it. People were eying it suspiciously but the men didn't pay attention to them.

"I believe that's our flight," Artemis said, watching as a man was escorted away from the plane after trying to sneak on board.

"How can you be sure?" Alex asked.

"There's high security and no one is being let on. It has been recently cleaned as you can see reflections in it. It just reeks of high class."

The group walked towards the plane. They stopped in front of a man standing in front of the stairs who didn't seem to pay attention to them.

"We'd like to board this flight," Artemis said to the man, who looked down at him with a not-so-pleased expression.

"Get lost, kid!" he barked, "This isn't a playground!"

Artemis resisted twitching. He hated being called a "kid". "Actually, a certain Alec Rider has requested our presence."

The man's features softened. "Ah, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't expect someone your age to be . ." He cleared his throat and stepped aside, letting the trio pass and board the plane.

The inside of the plane seemed large. The seats were made of velvet and the colours alternated between black and white. The three took their seats, Alex taking the window seat while Artemis sat on the outside seat, Butler wedged between them. A woman walked over to the three after they were seated.

"You must be Master Fowl and party," the woman said, extending a hand to Artemis. She had long blond hair with blue eyes. A warm smile decorated her face. She looked younger than forty.

"That is correct," Artemis said, not bothering to shake her hand, "This is my associate Butler and the other guest is Alex Rider."

The woman dropped her hand to her side. "I'm the wife of Alec Rider; Zoey. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Artemis glanced around the plane. They seemed to be the only passengers. "Mr. Rider isn't here?"

"No. He and our son were up in the mountains for the last week so he requested I come out here to greet you while they returned home. Would you three like anything? Food? Drinks? A movie?"

Artemis remained silent while Alex spoke up. "I'll have a Coke, please."

Zoey nodded and looked at Butler and Artemis. "How about you two?"

"No thanks," Butler said, not sure if he could trust these people.

"I'm fine," Artemis muttered, distracted by his thoughts.

Zoey nodded again and left to fetch a Coke. After she returned and sat down in the seat behind the trio, the pilot announced they would be taking off soon.

Alex tried to relax as he sipped his Coke. He was beside a giant bodyguard that could snap him like a twig and a genius younger than him. And behind him was the wife of someone who is accused of illegal dealings in the future even though he is supposedly dead.

And now, he was going to meet the suspicious man in the flesh.


	4. A Boy and his Fairies

**Plot so far: **Alex Rider is sent to investigate the mysterious Alec Rider. Upon arrival, he discovers the Alec Rider MI6 was talking about is dead and his son now owns everything his father owned. He stumbled upon a time machine where he was thrown back two years ago, where twelve year old Artemis Fowl and his bulky manservant Butler are trying to discover information about the People. Alex is caught spying on the youth and overhears a phone conversation between Artemis and Alec Rider the First. Alex, Artemis, and Butler are now on their way to the Rider Manor of two years ago, finally having the chance to meet this mysterious individual . . .

**

* * *

Oshawa, Canada, The Rider Manor**

Zoey Rider drove the three guests to the Rider household. Butler and Artemis were in the back, Alex deciding to ride in the shotgun seat, not in the mood to sit beside the massive manservant again. Butler felt nervous as they were driving in an ordinary looking car, hoping a gunman wouldn't take this chance to take out Artemis.

Artemis could sense his bodyguard's unease. "Don't you worry, old friend. There's a very low possibility someone followed us across the ocean when they could've killed us before we boarded the plane. Besides, if there was a gunman, chances are they would aim for Mrs. Rider instead of us in this situation as she's more popular in this area of the world."

The woman laughed, a nervous tone beginning to coat her voice. "Perhaps. Fortunately, every inch of this car is bulletproof. My husband built it and tested it so there are no worries."

Butler grunted and relaxed slightly, still staying alert. Alex watched the cars and buildings go by, not having a part in the conversation at hand.

"So, Alex," Zoey said, trying to converse with the boy, "How do you know Master Fowl? You don't seem to be of Irish descent. And I don't think Arty is the type to have friends - no offense."

"My father calls me Arty," Artemis mumbled, irritated, before Alex could speak. He smiled his vampire smile before continuing, "And he was spying on us. He claimed to have met Mr. Rider so we brought him along."

Alex clenched his teeth. Artemis knew he was lying.

"You've met my husband?" Zoey asked, glancing at Alex through the corner of her eye. When Alex didn't reply, she added; "What's your surname?"

"Rider," Alex mumbled.

The woman seemed to grip the wheel tighter. "Home country?"

"England."

The car went silent as Zoey thought. Then she eventually asked; "What's your father's name?"

"John Rider . . ."

Artemis broke up the line of questioning with a question of his own. "Do you perhaps know something about Alex here? You seem insistent to put the pieces together."

Zoey hesitated before answering, "Maybe. I'll ask my husband once we arrive. It shouldn't be long now."

Alex released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and sunk back in his chair.

-x-

When the group arrived at the Rider Manor, Artemis let his eyes graze around the area, seeming pleased with what he saw.

"Our visit seems promising. It seems our search may be over," he said, stepping out of the car. The rest stepped out as well, shutting the car doors behind them and looking at the area. Alex noticed one thing that struck him as odd.

Everything looked eerily similar to his time. From the variety of flowers in the garden up against the house to the length of the grass.

"Please, go right in! I'll get your bags, okay?" Zoey gave them a warm smile and pushed the gate open effortlessly. "Many things here are finger or hand-sensitive. Take this gate for example. Unless it's unlocked from the control panel, it couldn't be opened by anyone that doesn't have their fingerprint input into the device."

_Alec must've unlocked it for me then, _Alex thought, remembering the first time he came here. This place had tight security after all.

Zoey returned to the car as the trio walked up the path to the house. Butler led the way, keeping his senses alert who was followed by Artemis, curious about his new surroundings. Alex followed behind, noticing how similar things were in the time span of two years.

The group stopped at the door, the porch creaking slightly beneath them. Alex noticed the porch was made from a white, old-looking wood.

_It must be a way to know the presence of visitors before they actually knock, _the boy deduced, knowing this family had a way of doing that as Alec had found him through only footsteps. He glanced at Artemis who seemed to find the old porch out of place in a modern-looking house.

Before anyone had the chance to ring the doorbell or knock, the door swung open and a twelve year old Alec stood there, holding a gun. The same looking gun he pointed at Alex two years from now.

Except then his smile was less threatening.

"Ha! Thought you could invade, didn't you?" Alec said, a cocky grin spreading on his face. Butler instinctively kicked the gun out of the boy's hands, forcing him to stumble back with a look of astonishment.

"Hey, Alec, treat our guests with respect," said a voice from within. Alec turned to see a man with short blond hair. He looked to be in his thirties or younger and was slightly built under his clothes. He and Alec shared several similarities in physical appearance such as eyes and facial structure. He seemed to be at least half a foot taller than Alec, if not more.

"D-Dad . . ." Alec stammered, backing off. He gave the three at the door a look of apology and looked over his guests, smiling awkwardly at Butler as he took an extra step back.

The man gestured for everyone to come in and spoke to Alec as they did. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you about them." He looked at his guests, Butler glancing around, alert, Artemis examining the lobby, and Alex looking at his host. He already knew who this man was.

"Wonderful you could make it safely, Master Fowl," the man said, looking directly at Artemis, "I am Alec Rider the First. Of course, you have already met my wife, and this here is my son, Alec Rider the Second. I apologize for the little mix-up. Maybe he's been trained _too _well."

Alec shrugged and Alex couldn't help but notice how much his appearance didn't change in two years. His hair was the exact same shade of blue and was still- or, _already_ spiked. It seemed the only thing that changed was his cheery personality.

Artemis took his eyes off his surroundings and eyed Mr. Rider. "If I may ask, how did you know I was the one you summoned here?"

Alec Senior smiled. "Firstly, I knew from the start Artemis Fowl the Second was still only a boy. Secondly, you wear a suit while the other teenager's outfit is normal."

With this, Alex noticed how different he and Artemis were physically. Artemis wore a suit and was thin and pale while he himself seemed more . . . normal for his age.

Mr. Rider continued. "Next, your bodyguard is sticking closer to you, completely alert. And finally, you resemble your father."

Artemis blinked, shocked. "You knew my father?"

"Of course," he replied, "I worked with him a few times. He's missing now, correct?"

Artemis nodded before smiling slightly, impressed. "Your deduction skills are phenomenal."

Mr. Rider laughed, "Oh, detective is just one of my past times. Crimes scenes have always interested me. But enough about that. Alec, help your mother fetch the luggage."

The boy nodded and slipped out of the house, seeming to be much more serious than the Alec Alex knew. _If his father is really dead in the future, you would think he would act like this in the future and more carefree now . . ._

Artemis's voice interrupted Alex's train of thought. "Well, this is my bodyguard Butler and this here is Alex Rider. But you too are acquainted already, right?"

Alex found himself holding his breath as Mr. Rider studied his face curiously. If he said no, he would be doomed. Would he let Butler snap him in half inside his own house . . . ?

After what felt like eternity, Alec Senior smiled and said, "Ah, Alex! You've grown since I last saw you! How's your uncle?"

Artemis kept himself from scowling. He didn't expect this. He was so sure Alex was lying! It wasn't possible . . .

"He's fine," Alex mumbled, completely relieved. Wait, why did he say uncle? Wouldn't the normal response be "How are your parents"? Unless . . .

He couldn't actually know his uncle, could he?

"That's good. Now, how about I give you three a tour? I can tell you're curious about this building and what makes it tick."

For the next while, Alec Rider the First gave the three a tour of the manor. Artemis looked and listened attentively while Butler kept an eye out for anything potentially harmful. Meanwhile, Alex couldn't help but notice how _similar _every damn detail was. Like nothing changed for two whole years.

Eventually they reached the guest rooms. Upon entering one of them, Mr. Rider sat down on the Queen-sized bed and gestured for the others to sit somewhere. Artemis pulled out the chair from a desk and Alex sat on the arm of one of the sofas. Butler preferred to stand.

"Since I'm sure you three would like to return to your homes, I suppose I should actually get to the reason why you're here," he said, glancing over at Artemis.

"I agree," Artemis said, becoming business-like. Alex had never seen someone so young act so mature.

"Now, have you told Alex anything about your reason for coming here?"

Alex looked up. "Not particularly, no," Artemis said, unable to bring himself to care about the boy's significance.

Before anyone could continue, the door swung open and Alec walked in with everyone's luggage. There wasn't too much but Alex was surprised he could carry all of it. He set it all down and collapsed on the bed beside his father.

"So," he said, sitting up, "What did I miss?"

"Nothing much," his father said, "Though you might not want to stay. You never did like fairy tales that much."

Alec let out a short laugh and sat back. "Well, I'm sure little _Arty _and pals didn't come halfway across the world for a fantasy. This oughta be good. Continue."

Artemis twitched slightly. "Mr. Rider, must these two listen in on this? This is a matter between you and I plus Butler."

"You brought Alex here so he deserves to know," the man chuckled, "And my son won't believe any of it anyways. Magic isn't his thing."

_Magic? _Alex thought, _Is that what this is about?_

When Artemis couldn't think of a suitable argument, he stayed quiet and let Mr. Rider speak.

"Let me start from what we both know so everyone in the room can be on the same page. Basically, there's an ancient race that has co-existed with humans for thousands of years. These creatures are called the People, or commonly known as fairies."

"I thought we were the people," Alec mumbled, not seeming very interested.

Mr. Rider ignored his son. "These fairies are extremely wealthy in gold and are said to live deep below ground, past the Earth's crust and deep into the magma.

"Now, each fairy carries their own bible of sorts called The Book. It contains many rules each fairy must follow. Unfortunately for us, if someone touches The Book without the owner's permission, it will spontaneously combust. It's also written in the fairy language."

"Well that's stupid!" Alec exclaimed, "What's the point of making it explode if the damn thing isn't even in English?"

"Through careful analysis," Artemis said, annoyed with the boy already, "it could probably be deciphered."

Alec rolled his eyes and his father continued, "Exactly. And of course, you want to steal some fairy gold."

Artemis nodded as Alex took this all in. Fairies? It seemed like he landed in a bad fanfic.

"Now, I heard this from an old client in Vietnam. I'll get in contact with him later if you want to speak with him. Anyways, the fairies are-"

Alec Senior stopped talking when he saw his wife enter the room with a pale face. She was holding a phone in her hand, seeming really on edge about something.

"Honey . . ." she said, her voice shaky, "Someone _really_ needs to speak with you . . ."

Mr. Rider nodded and took the phone. He looked at Artemis, who frowned at the interruption. "Sorry. One minute, please." He left the room and shut the door behind him. Zoey sank down on the bed and stared at the ground. Alec looked at her with concern all over his face.

"Mom . . . ?" he said, "Mom, who was it?"

"No one you need to worry about," she said quietly, her face white, "Let your father take care of it . . ."

Before Alec could protest, his father walked back in, his face serious.

"I'm really sorry, Master Fowl," the man said, "But this will have to wait until tomorrow. My wife and I need to go somewhere right now. Please make yourself at home; there are two guest rooms, the other identical to this one. The sofa folds out to a bed as well. Alec, make sure our guests don't leave with any casualties, alright?"

"Yes, sir!" Alec said, standing up while grinning, as if this was a good thing.

Alec Senior smiled back as she and Zoey left the room. "That's my boy," he said, closing the door behind him.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Alex stood up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back." He shut it behind him before he could get a reply.

Alex ran down the stairs and after Mr. Rider, who had just opened the front door. He turned and looked at him in confusion. "Yes, Alex?"

"How do you know my uncle?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Mr. Rider smiled again. This family seemed to do it _way_ too much in the darkest situations. "I worked with him and your father at times. He often spoke about you. How old were you again? Twelve? Fourteen? You're growing up to be just like him."

"I see," Alex said, letting the man work out his age for himself, "Well, sorry for bothering you." He began to return upstairs to the guest room, growing curious about what Alec's parents were up to. He could hear the front close as he opened the door to the guest room once again. Artemis and Alec were conversing while Butler stood alert, watching Alec, who was aware of his gaze.

"So fairies, huh?" Alec said, "What next? Demons and vampires?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Artemis said, "Vampires don't exist. Although, demons-"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Alec announced, rolling his eyes, "I'm going to my room. If you are in any danger, guns are hidden in every vase in this house."

The boy gestured to a vase on the table beside the bed and left the room, closing it behind him. Artemis stood up and peered into the vase.

"I don't think he particularly likes us," Artemis said, sitting on the bed with a victorious smirk.

"Maybe it's you he doesn't like," Alex said, glancing at the vase, "This whole fairy thing has messed on his take of reality. And mine, to tell the truth." He sighed. "How do you know these fairies actually exist?"

Artemis smiled his vampire smile at him. "I've done my research. If you had done yours, little spy, you would agree as well."

"Right," Alex sighed, suddenly feeling tired. He didn't really feel like sleeping in the same room as a lethal weapon and his tiny fairy-believing master. So he walked out the room and headed to the other guest room across the hall. He popped open the door and let it shut behind him. He lied down on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about the recent events. Eventually, he got bored and turned on the TV with the remote on the table beside him. The TV came out of the wall and hung in the air a couple meters from Alex, a random channel flickering before his eyes.

Alex blinked. Sometimes it was nice to be in the presence of a rich possible-criminal family.

-x-

After hours of late night comedies and action shows, Alex felt thirsty. He stood up and crept towards the door, carefully opening it and stepping outside. He began to walk towards the stairs when he stopped in his tracks.

Alec was standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at the main floor. He still hadn't changed out of his clothes from earlier and seemed tense. Alex followed his gaze and was completely shocked at what he saw.

On the main floor were the pale corpses of Mr. and Mrs. Rider, side by side. There was no blood and in the dark, there seemed to be no wounds. Sitting where the pulse on Mr. Rider's neck would be was a large blue and black fuzzy tarantula, almost as if it was claiming the kill for itself.

MI6 was dead wrong. Alec Rider the First really was dead.

* * *

Well, there goes the info about the fairies. Who murdered Alec's parents? Tune in next time to see how everyone reacts to this predicament! Thanks for reading!


	5. New Visitors

Apologies for the longer-than-usual wait. I got caught at a writer's block until I decided to mush my idea for chapter six with this chapter. And I had this science project due (which was easier than expected). Anyways, I'm thinking of creating a sequel to this and I might or might not have Alex in it. I say this because, one, I don't have a role for him, and two, Artemis is going to be eighteen/whatever age he's going to be in the Atlantis Complex (three more months, yay!) so Alex would have to be the same age. The sequel will have almost NOTHING to do with this story except the characters knowing things because of this story. So, sequel: yay or nay? And if yay; should Alex be included?

**Plot so far: **Alex Rider was forced out of the country by MI6 after he was being attacked by Scorpia. He was sent to investigate a man by the name of Alec Rider; a billionaire over half the world doesn't know about. Upon arrival, he meets the man's son; Alec Rider the Second, who claims his parents have been dead for two years. After sneaking around the manor, Alex discovers a time machine and ends up two years in the past where young Artemis Fowl the Second is on his search for info about the People. Alex gets caught and is forced to go to Canada with Artemis and Butler since he lied about knowing the man Alec Rider the First - who had just contacted Artemis, claiming he has information. The trio is picked up by Mr. Rider's wife, who takes them to the Rider Manor where they meet a twelve year old Alec and his father. Mr. Rider begins telling the group what he knows about fairies when an important phone call interrupts him, forcing him and his wife to leave. Artemis and co. stay overnight. In the middle of the night, Alex and Alec discover the dead bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Rider.

* * *

The teenage spy didn't know what to expect after this. He was staring at the dead bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Rider with Alec close by. He expected Alec to break down in tears or have a fit of rage but he just stared at the sight with empty eyes. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at Alex, his face stricken with disbelief.

"Alex . . ." he said, his voice hoarse and unstable. He had to pause before he was sure his voice wouldn't crack. "Fetch me a gun. Please."

Alex didn't bother to question why and returned to the room he was just in. He walked to the small table and reached into the vase, pulling out a gun that felt heavy in his hand.

_The last time I held one of these was when I tried to kill Mrs. Jones . . ._

Alex shook off the memory and returned to Alec, who hadn't moved. He swiped the gun from Alex and quickly shot out towards the bodies, breaking the silence of the night. The sudden sound made Alex jump. The bullet whizzed through the air and penetrated the giant tarantula resting on Mr. Rider's neck, which died instantly. Alex hadn't even blinked during the time span all this had happened. He was amazed at the boy's accuracy. Did he even take a second to aim?

Shortly after the gunshot ran out through the manor, Butler burst out of the guest room gripping his Sig Sauer with Artemis following behind. To Alex's surprise, the boy seemed rather calm.

"What is-" Artemis stopped when he noticed the two corpses. An awkward silence filled the room before Artemis spoke again.

"I do believe we have no reason to stay here any longer," the boy said, "Come along Butler."

Artemis started towards the stairs and was stopped by Alec, who didn't move out of the way. He looked at the boy genius in the eyes and it seemed determination had suddenly filled his eyes.

"You didn't come halfway around the world just to have your hopes shattered," Alec said, his voice beginning to sound almost angry, "I may not know about these "fairies" but I can damn well try to discover what my father knew. I won't let you leave until you get what you came here for."

Artemis sighed and returned Alec's gaze. They both were determined to get their way but, of course, only one of them could get it.

Silence filled the room once again as the two kept their gazes locked, neither intending to back down. Eventually, Artemis spoke, his eyes unwavering.

"Forty eight hours," the Irish youth said, "After that, we'll be returning to our search back home."

Alec nodded; aware this was going to be a challenge. Although, he always liked a good challenge. Then, an idea formed in his head.

"If I find the info you want," the boy said, "and you succeed in stealing the fairy gold, I _request_ you give me at least a fifth of what you obtain."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, catching the way the boy made sure he'd hear that one word. "Request?"

"It's your choice. I expect you'll decline as you seem like the greedy type. You won't care if you create a cross-species war. All you want is your stupid gold. _Aurum est Potestas, _right Arty?"

At Alec's words, Artemis felt a twinge of guilt in his gut. But he quickly dismissed the feeling, assuming the boy wanted him to feel this way. He was cleverer than he looked.

However, the words also seemed like a challenge. The boy knew he couldn't part with the gold so easily.

Artemis made up his mind. "One twelfth of the gold and we have a deal. I'm feeling generous for the recently departed."

Alec grinned. If Fowl's smile seemed like a vampire, this boy's was more like a werewolf. "Deal then. Be sure to make your ransom price high so you don't lose much."

Artemis smiled back with his vampire smile. "I was planning on it."

The room grew silent for a few seconds until Alec's grin faded and exhaustion swept over his features.

"You should all return to bed," he said, "I'll take care of the mess here."

Artemis nodded and he and Butler returned to their room. Alex stayed behind long enough to see Alec walk down the stairs and pick up the phone, still gripping the gun in his opposite hand. No longer feeling thirsty, the young fourteen year old retreated to his room for a good, solid few hours of sleep.

-x-

Young Artemis Fowl finally stirred at sometime before noon of the next day when the sun was positioned so it would light up the room through the curtains. He had been up late meditating and thinking over everything that had happened lately. He cracked open an eye and shut it again when the sun blinded him.

Everything that happened in the last twenty four hours would run through his mind from the moment he arrived in India to the sight of the corpses in this very home. He was still fitting all the pieces together and planning ahead in the case Alec comes up with nothing.

Although, he had a feeling the boy would find something. He had the determination of someone much older than him, he could see that clearly. Determination that would drive him to answers.

Artemis almost chuckled. He reminded him of himself in a way.

Of course, if he didn't dig up any answers, then he and Butler could try Vietnam, where Mr. Rider said he got his answers. It had been a wild goose chase up until now but he seemed he was finally getting somewhere.

And then there was Alex, who didn't seem to fit in this scenario. He had no real part in it at all. He didn't seem very confident when he claimed to know Mr. Rider. Yet the man acted like they've known each other for a long time. Curious and curiouser. Perhaps he would remember to search for him and his family over the Internet.

Artemis finally opened his eyes again and sat up, blinking away the sleep in his eyes. He had slept peacefully, despite all that was happening. The boy prodigy glanced over at Butler, who was sitting on a chair and looking at a number of papers. He placed them down when he saw his employer sitting up.

"And what might that be?" Artemis asked, curious to what seemed to interest the butler so much. He knew Butler's reading preferences were usually highlighted on guns and ammo.

"Blueprints for weaponry," the manservant replied, standing up and handing the papers to Artemis, who took them with curiosity. "Apparently Mr. Rider enjoyed making fancy weapons."

Many of the blueprints were different types of guns. One that caught Artemis's eye was one equipped with bullets, tranquillizer darts, and a harpoon gun. The odd thing was it looked like a normal-sized gun.

"Did he actually make any of these?" Artemis asked, looking through the detailed pictures.

"Mr. Rider's son claims he uses that one," Butler pointed at the model Artemis was interested in, "as a primary weapon."

"Interesting . . ." the boy muttered, taking a mental note for himself to inquire Alec about it later. He put down the blueprints and slipped out of bed. Artemis walked over to the window and pulled back the curtains, the light blinding his vision. He blinked a few times and looked at the view.

From the window, Artemis could see the houses across the street and most of the lawn of the Rider Manor. He could see Alec watering a small garden with a hose while using his opposite hand to speak on the phone. Artemis attempted to read his lips but Alec had made a sour face and hung up, dialling a new number. He turned towards the road and chatted a bit with the person on the other end before hanging up again. He began to dial a new number.

_He must be trying random numbers, _Artemis thought, _But for what purpose? To discover more about the People? Unless, that's his father's phone so he's trying everyone the man has called . . . Though that's hundreds, possibly thousands of people. He worked with both my father and Alex's uncle. Who knows where else that man has been under the radar? _

Artemis decided to give up on eavesdropping and looked across the street. There were two girls walking along the sidewalk, slowing when one of them noticed Alec, who didn't seem to notice them.

"Oh my god, look at him!" Artemis read on one of their lips. She was a brunette and was thin. She was smiling and looking at the blue-haired boy, who seemed oblivious. She seemed around the same age as Alec, if not a year or so younger.

"Quiet!" the other girl hissed. She had blond hair and fairly pale skin. She was thin as well but didn't seem as interested in Alec as the other girl did. "He'll hear us!"

"Just look at him!" the first girl said, ignoring her friend's request, "He's so hott! And look at that build! You can basically see his abs poking out of his shirt!"

"Let's go!" the blond said, beginning to drag her friend away. She struggled and planted her feet on the ground, trying to stay in place.

"HI!" she yelled in Alec's direction, waving like an idiot. Alec, who was in the middle of dialling, looked over, confused. He smiled as he waved back with the hand his phone was in.

"He waved at me!" the brunette squealed, Artemis almost able to hear the words through the glass of the window. The blond scowled and continued to drag her friend away, who reluctantly followed along.

Alec frowned and watched them walk away, not really sure what that was all about. He was brought back to reality when his phone rang, making him jump and swear under his breath.

"Hello?" he asked, breathing slowly to calm himself down.

"You have less than two days left," Artemis said into his phone, still watching Alec through the window, "I really don't think you should be speaking with women and others that pass by."

"How did you-" Alec began, looking up at the windows. He spotted Artemis, who smiled his vampire smile at him. "Well, they just waved and said hi. I was being polite. Besides, two days is plenty of time. I just need to check my father's call records until I find the man he got his information from."

"And have you found him yet?"

"Uh . . ." Alec glanced at the thousands of calls made and received in the last few weeks. "I-I'm still working on it . . . He contacted tons of people, you know!"

Artemis chuckled. "Then I'll leave you to your work."

And with that, he hung up.

-x-

Alex stepped out of his room some time after noon. The first thing the boy looked for was the bodies of the two Riders.

They were gone.

Alex walked down the stairs and investigated where the corpses were about a dozen hours ago. He would've thought it was all a dream if it weren't for the bullet still lodged in the floor from when Alec killed the giant spider. He wandered into the kitchen, where Alec was now rummaging through the fridge.

"So," Alex began, "What's happening now that your parents are dead?"

Alec pulled out a bottle of Coke and looked at Alex. He smiled, an odd thing to do when your parents were just murdered less than twenty four hours ago.

"Absolutely nothing."

"Nothing?" Alex was confused. He was too young to own a place by himself! Wait, he said something about this in the future . . .

"Yup, nothing. Look what I found."

Alec held up a sheet of paper that Alex took. The handwriting was neat and the signature at the bottom proved it was written by Alec Rider the First.

_To Whomever it may concern;_

_If this is being read, I have passed on to the afterlife. My_  
_son, Alec Rider the Second, inherits everything that was_  
_mine or his mother's and may choose what he wants to_  
_do with the rest of his life. If he chooses, he may live in_  
_the Rider Manor as if he were emancipated; responsible_  
_for his own well-being, no matter his age._

_Signed;_  
_Alec Rider the First_

Alex couldn't believe it. Did someone really have enough power to say something like that?

"Either way," Alec continued, taking back the will from Alex, "it's not like anyone is going to find out. I've already told someone to make some caskets and bury the bodies."

"You aren't having a funeral?" Alex couldn't hide the shock on his face.

"Nah," Alec replied, pouring a glass of Coke and handing it to Alex, who took it and took a sip. "That would just be a waste of time. I mourned enough before they were carried away. Anymore emotion is unnecessary. Besides, I don't want people knowing about this. It would draw more attackers."

Alex took another sip of his Coke. More attackers? Was this place attacked often?

"Also, there are more important matters. Find info on the fairies, discover my parents' murderer, and take care of the arachnid infestation."

"Arachnid infestation?"

"You're just full of questions, aren'tcha?" Alec smiled and opened the fridge freezer. He opened the ceiling of the freezer and pulled out a gun. For a moment, Alex thought he was aiming the gun at him. Then he fired and he felt the bullet rush over his head and collide with the wall. He turned to see it collided with another one of those black and blue tarantulas.

"They've been everywhere lately," Alec explained, gripping the gun and glancing around, looking completely relaxed. His eyes were completely alert though.

Alex nodded and walked over to the fridge. He stopped when the floor creaked beneath his feet and he hit something metal. He looked down to see he was standing on a trapdoor he never noticed before.

"That used to be a wine cellar," Alec explained, "There's nothing in it anymore."

Alex opened the fridge, curious on what there is to eat. Surprisingly, there wasn't much.

"Yeeah, I have to go buy more," Alec said with a frown. Then he smiled, an idea forming.

"OR I could just pay someone to . . ."

Alec returned the gun to its hiding place and picked up his cell phone, dialling a number as he left the room. When he was gone, Alex waited a few moments and then slipped out of the kitchen and into the main hall.

The teenager was relieved to find no one was there. He walked behind the stairs and down the hall until he reached the end. Then he got down on his hands and knees, searching for the loose board. When he found it, Alex pulled it back and took out the box. He put his hand on the lever, took a deep breath, turned it, and pulled.

The first thing Alex noticed was the wall did not budge. The second thing he noticed was the floor around him opened up, the section he was on being held up by something. Peering down around him, it looked like an endless abyss of nothingness.

_Handprint sensitive, _Alex sighed. He returned the lever, the box, and the board to its proper place and the floor reverted to its original form. Alex stood up and began to return to the main lobby.

Alex was trapped in the past.

-x-

Artemis was meditating in the room he was staying in. He realized how much free time he had for the next thirty six hours and felt like thinking it all over and planning ahead.

As his eyes seemed to bore a hole into the wall, Artemis's thought process was shattered when the door swung open and slammed against the wall. He turned as Butler stood up, tense, and Alec walked in, playing with a cell phone.

"I think I have a stalker," Alec announced with a smile, sitting down on the bed. Artemis thought the smile seemed odd on the boy's face, used to his serious and cold expression. "This girl keeps walking past here. Twice in the last hour."

"Was it the girl from earlier?" Artemis asked, remembering the brunette and the blond walking by earlier.

"Yeah, the blond," Alec replied, making Artemis raising an eyebrow. Odd. She seemed like the more sensible of the two.

Alec seemed to read Artemis's mind. "Yeah, I thought it was weird too. And she looked really nervous and crap as well. I was gonna ask her what was wrong but she ran off as soon as I looked at her."

The Irish youth thought over it as Alec glanced out the window. Something caught his eye and he stood up, wandering over to it. Peeking through the curtains, he frowned.

"She's back," he mumbled, "And she brought a new friend . . ."

Both Artemis and Butler walked over to the window and took a look outside. The girl was walking towards the gate to the manor and a grown man with a cloak followed her. Artemis squinted through the sunlight to see their lips.

"Honestly, I don't know the people who live here . . ." the girl mumbled.

"Quiet!" the man hissed, pushing something into the girl's back. If Artemis had to guess, he would assume it was a gun or some other weapon.

Alec smirked and headed for the door. "Finally, something interesting . . ." Artemis heard him say under his breath before he was gone.

-x-

The blue-haired almost-teenager hopped over the rail on the second floor and landed gracefully on the ground floor. He continued to walk towards the door, plucking his jacket off a chair before he opened the door and walked outside. Alec slipped the jacket on, feeling the weight of his two guns on the inside pockets. Just in case, the boy thought, knowing that "just in case" meant "will be needed" in his world.

He knew what he was getting into. A girl was being threatened by some guy who was pointing a gun at her back. He could see the way she twitched nervously while forcing herself to stay in place. The man was a stranger so it was natural to try and step away. But she couldn't, of course. Unless she wanted a bullet in the head. Although, the pretty little girl didn't seem suicidal.

Alec almost laughed at himself. He called this random girl he didn't know pretty. Though he had to admit, she was cute. Thin, blond, curious blue eyes . . .

_______No, shut up Alec! _he told himself,_______You don't need a stupid girl in your life. They would just get in the way!_

The boy shook off his internal rambling as he halted in front of the gate. He looked at the frightened girl and the other man and put on his best innocent smile.

"Hey," Alec said casually, as if someone's life wasn't in his hands now. One mistake from him and she would be joining his mother and father.

"Hello, boy," the man said, "Are your parents home?"

"Are you gay?" Alec asked out of the blue. Despite the situation, the blond cracked a small smile while the man's face twisted in a mixture of shock and irritation.

The man calmed himself before continuing. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I dunno. "Hello" just seems like a very feminine way to greet someone. Are you sure you're not gay?"

The man was beginning to grow tired of this. "Where are your parents?"

"On vacation," Alec answered. _An eternal vacation to the afterlife . . ._

"Ah. So you're here alone?"

"Why yes, yes I am." There was no point in mentioning his guests. "Alec Rider the Second at your service. Hey, can you do me a favour? It's nothing big, just a simple request, that's all."

Confusion flashed over the man's face. "Uh . . . Sure. What is it?"

Alec smirked and reached into his jacket, pulling out one of the two guns. He pointed it at the man, the girl suddenly freezing in fear. "Tell the officers I said "hi"."

Then he fired.

Everything seemed to slow down at that point. The man's face showed shock. He let a boy trick him! He thought about killing the girl until something pierced his neck. Did the boy shoot him? No, after the boy pulled the trigger, there was no gunshot!

Then it hit him as he began to grow numb and fall back, releasing the gun.

_____________Tranquilizer darts . . ._

The man blacked out before hitting the ground. Only when he woke up in police custody did he feel the pain from his fall.

* * *

Lol, filler chapter. Don't worry, something will happen next chapter. I hope . . . Uh, yeah. Read and review please. I'd like feedback, even if it's criticism. I like improving and stuffs.

Who is this random girl? Will Alec discover what his father knew about the People? How will Alex get home? Why is Alec so awesome? Why do I keep asking questions like this? WHERE IS WALDO? TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR THE NEXT EPISODE OF DRAGONBALL Z! I mean Trouble Through Time. Kthx4readingbaii.


	6. Women are Confusing

Maybe it's just me but the gaps between the time of posting these seems to be getting larger . . . Meh. Must be because I fail at coming up with filler. Even though everything you see was planned out. It's just the tiny parts in between the filler.

Also, sorry if I change the scene breaker symbol thing. Sometimes it shows up when I click save, other times it disappears.

Also also, sorry this chapter is short. I was running out of filler (explains the lack of updates) and I started working on a new story (it's a Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 based story if anyone is interested, not that you are).

**Plot so far: **After getting chased down by Scorpia, Alex Rider went back in time and met up with twelve year old criminal genius Artemis Fowl the Second who is searching for information on the People. Alec Rider the First; the one Alex was sent to investigate in the present, contacts Fowl and him, Alex, and Butler fly to Canada to meet with Mr. Rider. After a few hours, Mr. and Mrs. Rider left and were found another few hours later - dead. Their son, Alec Rider the Second, vowed to discover what his father knew on the People while searching for his killers. Along the way, he saved a girl's life from a possible murderer . . .

* * *

Everyone was gathered in the television room, an action-filled movie lighting up the TV. The movie was at the climax but no one was really paying attention to it.

Alec had decided to bring in the girl he'd saved. He hadn't said anything else to her after he sat down on the couch and searched the mini-fridge beside him for a drink. Alex had been watching the movie and Artemis and Butler had come downstairs after watching Alec take out the man through the window. No one said anything as blood was shed on the big screen.

Finally the blond broke the silence. "Um . . . Thank you . . ." she mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Alec.

Alec popped open a can of Ginger Ale (or Canada Dry, whichever you call it) and took a drink. He placed it on the table and looked at the TV, as if he were watching it. His cold mask had slipped over his features, any traces of a smile completely gone. "Don't mention it. Really. Don't."

The girl nodded and stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say. Alec looked at her, his voice unwavering.

"Why the hell are you stalking me?" he said abruptly.

"I wasn't stalking you!" she cried, almost too quickly.

"Then why have you been wandering near my house?"

"My friend lost something and I'm trying to find it!"

"Right," Alec said, not taking his eyes off the TV, "You can go home now. I saved your ass and now you pay me back by leaving me alone. Capeesh?"

"I . . ." the girl started, her voice growing softer with every word, "I don't know how to get home . . . I'm kinda lost . . ."

"Great. Just great. Address?"

The girl shook her head, biting her lip. Alec took this as "I don't know it".

"Phone number?"

She didn't respond, looking down at the ground. She seemed ashamed of herself.

"_Wonderful_," Alec said, standing up. He was at least half a foot taller than the girl, making her feel small and insignificant, "Look, I'll drive you around later until we find your house. Since I have things to do, you can stay until I have some free time. So sit back and don't go wandering around without my permission."

Before she could respond, Alec left the room, leaving the room silent. Except for the victorious cries of the heroes in the movie.

The girl sat where Alec was sitting, staring at her hands. A hiccup escaped from her mouth as she sniffed, feeling upset.

Alex felt bad and tried to start a conversation. "Don't worry. Being a millionaire makes you selfish and inconsiderate. Next thing you know, he'll being trying to blow up half the world."

A small bubble of laughter escaped from the girl's mouth, followed by a few sobs. Oddly enough, Alex wasn't joking. He could see Alec becoming some crazy criminal mastermind like all the other millionaires he saved the world from.

"I'm Alex," he said, holding out his hand. The girl hesitated and took it, her grip almost non-existent.

"I'm Taylor," she said, seeming slightly more cheery. She used her free hand to wipe the tears away from her eyes. Alex suddenly noticed she looked a lot younger when she did that. Like a four year old, maybe.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I'm not used to be people acting so cold towards me. He . . . Wait a minute, did he say he could drive?"

Alex recalled him saying that. He simply nodded, suddenly confused.

"But he doesn't look sixteen! It's not legal yet!"

Artemis decided to interrupt after some thinking. "His father must've pulled a few strings for him. I heard he owns this property now and doesn't need adult supervision. Surely the man could give him a license."

"Well, I'm not letting him drive me anywhere then!" Taylor said, crossing her arms over her chest and watching the TV, "I'd rather _not_ lose my life at this age."

Artemis stared at the television dully. "You're not a very convincing liar."

She gave the young genius an odd look. "Why would I lie about not wanting to die?"

Fowl looked over at her and she cringed slightly at the faint amusement in his eyes. She looked away, nervous from the sudden eye contact.

"You lied about the stalking bit. You grew defensive when he questioned you about-"

"_Of course_ I would be defensive, stupid!" she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, her voice quivering slightly. She paused to compose herself. "You would be too if you were accused of stalking!"

There was two things wrong with what spilled out of the child's mouth. First, she _interrupted_ Artemis. Second, she called him _stupid._ That was something the prodigy didn't hear everyday. He smiled his trademark smile, making the girl shrink back into the couch.

"You're calling _me_ stupid? Perhaps you'd like to-"

"I wasn't _stalking_ him," she repeated desperately. Artemis was growing tired of her interruptions. "My friend dared me to talk to him! B-But I freaked out whenever I walked by . . . I was going to give up on the dare when this guy threatened to kill me . . ."

Her voice grew quieter as she talked and Artemis had to focus on her mouth to know what she was saying. He exhaled deeply as he stood up.

"Just some childish game," he said, remembering how Alec had "dared" him to spare some fairy gold. Perhaps he should cut the freedom on his pawns and take things back into his hand. "Butler, old friend, let's take a small walk to discuss the matters at hand."

Butler nodded and stood up, following his employer towards the front door. Taylor stood up and followed them.

"Hey! What "matters"?"

Artemis didn't bother to look at her. "It doesn't concern you."

The girl stood her ground, not wanting to back down. "Well maybe they do concern me."

_Might as well mess with her innocent, simple mind a little, _the young genius thought. There's no way this child would know about fairies beyond the fairy tales. "Matters over the People."

The blondie raised an eyebrow and thought. "People? Or . . . No, nevermind."

Artemis stopped. "What was that?"

"Nothing. You'd think it was an absurd theory."

The Irish boy believed in fairies and that his missing father was still alive after two years. He was a criminal with an IQ higher than his generation. "Absurd" was a word used to describe the possibility of a purple monkey from the future appearing out of nowhere along with Albert Einstein and a talking zebra.

"Try me."

The girl bit her lip nervously. "Fairies," she blurted, seeming to regret saying that one word. She waited for the boy and the giant human to laugh at her but they didn't.

"Did you say fairies?" Artemis asked. Of course, this girl was only a child but to know of fairies as "the People" was shocking.

"Yes," she said with a guilty look, "I'm fascinated by tons of myths and fairy tales. Demons, witches, vampires, fairies, angels, ghosts . . . I believe in a lot of it. I have a lot of spare time so . . . Um, yeah."

The boy stepped around his massive bodyguard and looked at the girl properly for the first time. Her skin was naturally pale and she seemed unfit. She couldn't be more than ninety pounds and her hair was a natural dirty blonde that gave off a slight shine (_And not because of lack of hygiene. It's natural, _he had deduced.). There were brownish-yellow spikes around the pupils of her eyes and there were navy blue rings around the steely blue irises. There were soft black bags under her eyes and she seemed slightly distracted by her surroundings, her eyes glancing around nervously.

"So, how much do you know about these fairies?" Artemis asked. There was no risk in asking. It probably wasn't much, maybe something a cartoon would exaggerate.

However, Artemis was surprised when she mentioned everything Mr. Rider had said; things he already knew. When she finished, she seemed kind of embarrassed to know so much.

"Intriguing," Artemis muttered.

"Um, do you want me to leave you alone?" Taylor asked, "I've probably rambled long enough . . ."

"Let me ask you one more question," the boy said, "If you discovered fairies were, in fact, real, what would you do?"

Taylor thought for a moment before answering. "Well, I would want to try and find one."

"And?"

"Um . . . Maybe I could try and be friends with them. Meeting a completely different species I could communicate with sounds interesting."

"Friends?" Artemis scoffed, "You do know fairies are said to have unbelievable amounts of gold, right?"

The girl looked at Artemis as if he were stupid, rolling her eyes. "Of course I know that! So?"

"Wouldn't you feel compelled to separate a fairy from their gold?"

The girl frowned. "You're a selfish, greedy freak, you know that?"

Butler twitched as Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"This whole thing _is _about fairies. That's why you're so persistent on asking me all these questions," Taylor said. She paused and smirked slightly, "Being the gullible child I should be, you thought you might be able to pick apart my mind until you know everything I know. Your plan is to abduct a fairy and steal their gold, isn't that right?"

Artemis was enjoying this little game between him and someone a whole year younger than him. She wasn't a complete idiot like the rest of the children his age. "And what if it is?"

"Then it's as I said; you're a freak. A psychotic, greedy freak. To make matters worst, you'll probably succeed in your mission seeing your determination and the company you're in." She glanced at Butler, suddenly seeming full of regret. Her next words were shaky but she was determined to make her point. "Your clothes reek of high class, you have a massive bodyguard, you're determined enough to travel to Canada for information, and you seem rather intelligent. As much as I hate to admit it, if fairies are real, I believe you will drain one of all its wealth."

Artemis didn't reply as Taylor walked hastily into the kitchen, refusing to look at them again. After she entered the kitchen, Artemis didn't move for awhile.

_It's like an emotional, female version of me. _

"Butler," Artemis said after a moment, smirking ever-so-slightly. "Let us depart now."

Butler nodded and the duo left the Rider Manor.

-~-

Alex Rider entered the kitchen to see Taylor standing on the counter, digging through the cupboards. The boy walked over and looked up at her.

"Looking for something?"

"Food," the girl replied almost instantly, pausing before looking down at him, "Are there no chips or anything in this house?"

Alex shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. Taylor nearly fell back when the door swung open and hit the wall. Alec walked in, looking at a cell phone.

"Hey Alex," the blue-haired youth said, not looking up from the phone, "I think I know who dad got the info on the People off of. It might be this guy named Mr. Nguy-" Alec stopped talking when he saw Taylor still on the counter, now looking at him.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Looking for food, stupid!" the blonde said, her tone slipping into anger, "Don't you feed your guests?"

Alec laughed sarcastically, his own voice now taking on an angry tone, "Of course I do. But _you_ aren't a guest. _You_ are someone who is forced to stay here until proper arrangements are made. Hey, what's your parent's email? I'm gonna tell them to come pick you up."

"No!" Taylor said too quickly. When Alec raised an eyebrow, she spoke again. "Well, how do I know you won't stalk my family and murder us all?"

"_Why _would I do that?"

"High-class rich spoiled brats often grow up to be evil," she responded, hopping down from the counter. She smirked, her expression mimicking that of an impish demon's. Alex found it ironic _almost_ everyone in his house was no "ordinary" human and had a deadly smile.

"Yes, because you have experience with rich people, right?" Alec shot back, "This isn't a fictional story, girlie."

As Alex thought about how truthful Taylor's previous statement was, the girl was silent for a few seconds.

"What? No comment?" Alec said, his lips curving into a smile.

"No, I'm just thinking about how lame you are. "Girlie"? Is that the best you can come up with? Please, my three year old cousin is more creative than you."

Alec's expression turned serious again, if not a bit agitated. "Whatever. Just tell me your parent's email or something."

"No. You have to do something for me first." Taylor seemed to be grinning at her thoughts, keeping herself from laughing.

"And that is . . . ?"

"Something you won't like," the blonde assured before telling him.

She told him. And she was right. He didn't like it.

_Just to get her out of here, _he told himself, _It'll be worth it . . ._

-~-

"WOW~! This house is so big! Ohmigod, I can't believe I get to SLEEP here!"

Taylor's brunette friend had been the centrepiece of Alec and Taylor's agreement. They both got to stay for one night and then they would both leave for good. Arrangements were made via email for the two to sleep away from their house with a lie that they were sleeping at their other friend's house. Of course, that friend was playing along with all this. Just in case.

At the moment, Artemis and Butler were upstairs while the remaining four were in the lobby. For once, Taylor seemed to actually have a genuine smile on her face.

Alec, on the other hand, was not too happy.

"Okay, Alex, I'm gonna need you to move into Artemis's room for the night," he said to the other boy, "There's only two guest rooms here so . . ."

The blonde's smile faded as she overheard this. "Ah . . . No, that should be okay. We can sleep in the TV room or something."

"Is that the room with the giant plasma screen TV in it?" the brunette asked, glancing over at the room with "Mythbusters" playing on the big screen.

"Yeah," Alec sighed, "Well, that's okay then. Alex doesn't have to move at all then. Which is good since _little Arty_ surely wouldn't be pleased. I'll be upstairs so don't bother me, got it?"

Before anyone could respond, Alec went upstairs, leaving Alex with the two girls.

"Are all the people in this house really hott?" the brunette whispered to Taylor while glancing at Alex. The blonde let out a small bubble of laughter before whispering back.

"The other two here probably aren't your type," she said, "One kinda reminds me of a vampire and the other is an older man who could probably snap you like a toothpick."

As the two laughed and murmured quietly to each other, Alex felt kind of left out. He coughed so the two could reacknowledge his presence.

"Oh yeah," Taylor said with a smile, "Alex, this is one of my best friends Katrina. 'Trina, this is Alex. He's the only tolerable person in this house. Alec, the blue-haired freak, is a douche and the other two aren't very sociable."

"Hi!" Katrina said with a big smile. Her brown eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement. Alex replied with a short "hey" in return before the two went to the TV room, returning to their happy chatter. The British youth thought for a moment before walking up the stairs and stopping in front of Alec's room. He raised his arm to knock but was interrupted by the door opening and Alec standing there, seeming slightly annoyed by something.

"Yes?" he asked.

"The fairy people . . ." Alex began, not really knowing what to say. He just needed someway to kill time. He was also slightly curious and wanted to help in any way possible. "You were telling me you might've discovered more info earlier?"

Alec thought for a moment before he remembered. "Oh yeah . . . Might as well tell you everything. C'mon in."

Alec backed way from the door and plopped down on his bed. Alex looked around as he walked in. It was basically opposite of the guest rooms: rather a pure white, everything seemed modern and consisted of black and other dark colours. Cases of movies, video games, and CDs were crammed into shelves that reached the ceiling. The three "next-gen" consoles were piled up in the corner beside the TV, which resembled the one in the room he was staying in. The window at the back of the room had the same view the window in his room had, which consisted of the backyard. Or, a yard with a swimming pool, a golf course, a giant trampoline, and a lake at the very far end.

"Take a seat wherever," Alec sighed, laying back and looking at the ceiling. When Alex decided not to sit, the Rider heir began talking.

"Basically, out of the many people my father has contacted within Vietnam, only like, five or so I haven't been able to contact. One of them, a Mr. . . ." Alec paused to remember the name, "Mr. Nguyun, I believe, was contacted a few hours before Artemis Fowl was called. It would make sense if Fowl was contacted soon after father acquired his information. Don't you think?"

Alex nodded.

"Good. Now then . . ."

Alec sat up and stopped mid-sentence, closing his mouth. He seemed to be looking past Alex. Before the teenager could react, Alec reached under his pillow and pulled out a gun.

"Hey, don't move, alright?" he said softly before aiming the gun just above Alex's head and firing. The bullet flew right over his head and smashed into the wall, taking out another one of those giant fuzzy tarantulas. Alex was almost getting used to bullets getting fired around him. _Almost._

"Where are these things coming from?" Alec asked to no one in particular when Butler suddenly barged into the room, Artemis trailing behind.

"Gunshot," Butler said simply. He glanced around and spotted the bullet in the wall, becoming a smidge less tense.

"Sorry, forgot to silence it," Alec said simply with an innocent grin, raising his hands to show he was harmless. Well, as harmless as a boy with a gun in his hand could be. When Butler didn't back off, Alec explained, "These spiders just popped up out of nowhere when my mother and father died. I've killed at least sixteen in the last seventeen hours."

_Sixteen? _Alex thought, _I've only seen two . . ._

"So you insist on shooting them all?" Artemis smirked, "Arachnophobia?"

Alec shrugged. "I'd rather _not _get poisoned or something by one of them."

"They aren't poisonous," Artemis corrected, stepping out from behind Butler and looking at the arachnid's remains, "Tarantula venom isn't very lethal unless you have an allergic reaction. It just irritates the body. Besides, this particular species is the _haplopelma lividum _or the cobalt blue tarantula. It has no urticating hairs but is extremely aggressive and possesses a painful bite. However, it's odd to see it here. They're native to Thailand and Myanmar . . ."

Alec didn't really care about the Irish youth's scientific babbling. "Well maybe my parents' killer brought a bunch over and released them in my house."

Artemis shook his head and put his finger to his chin, thinking. "No, they need to be closer to the ground . . ."

"Well, maybe they're coming from outside?"

"Then they'd probably _stay _outside. There's too many to say they're _all_ coming from outside. No . . . Does this house have some sort of basement?"

"No but there's an old wine . . . cellar . . ." Alec's voice slowed as he realized where Artemis was going with this. He swore and pushed past the room's occupants, his gun in hand. Everyone followed along to the kitchen where Alec stopped in front of the trapdoor. The blue-haired boy hesitated before crouching down and letting his free hand hover over the handle. He took a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and slowly pulled it open . . .

* * *

AND OHMYGOD CLIFFHANGER! I was gonna add more but I'm like "Screw it, I need a decent end to the chapter". I mean, the other idea was . . . Another cliffhanger. But is was less interesting. Involved with the filler. Yeah.

TUNE IN NEXT TIME WHERE STUFF HAPPENS! KTHXBAI. Thanks for reading. :D


	7. Arachnophobia

**(If you're reading this and like this story, go vote on the poll on my profile. I work when I have motivation. :) And when more than one person wants me to write something, I feel like writing. Also, updates will be shown on my profile for all my fanfictions and future works. So check every now and then for new info on stuff!)**

* * *

Sorry for the long wait! I've been occupied all summer. But now I'm pleased to say I can't use "writer's block" as an excuse anymore for this story. ;) I have the rest planned out and I'm already thinking of sequel ideas. I'll be updating the info on those on my profile so check in often for new info!

**Plot so far: **Alex Rider found himself hurdled back in time two years ago, getting himself caught up in a mess involving fairies, tarantulas, and the mysterious death of Alec Rider the First. Young Irish genius, Artemis Fowl, seems to know where the tarantulas are hiding out. So young Alec Rider II is ready to open up the trapdoor to the cellar, ready to see what's inside . . . The moment of truth approaches as he opens the door-

* * *

. . . And slammed it back down when he saw at least sixteen tiny bug legs try to crawl out. Possibly more. He hadn't bothered to count. He didn't even try when at least half of them were now squished under the door.

"Arachnophobia," Alec said, ashamed. He stood up and stepped away from the trapdoor, starting to laugh nervously.

_And now he finally shows some weakness, _Alex thought, having never seen Alec Rider the Second completely lose it or show any sort of weakness before. It didn't suit him at all.

"So spiders are your weak point?" Artemis asked with a smirk. He'd have to remember that for later. Just in case.

"As is water," Alec said with a nod, still seeming a little shaken, "I've been attacked by a shark and almost drowned. Twice. Father could never get the chance to teach me how to swim after that. But that's going completely off topic . . ."

As Artemis stored that info in his mental files, Alex looked at the ring that posed as a small bomb around his finger. He knelt down beside the trap door, snapping the blue-haired youth out of his trance.

"Don't tell me you're going to open it!" he said, worry clearly shown on his face.

Alex didn't answer and slipped the ring off his finger. He grabbed the trapdoor's handle with one hand while gripping the ring in the other. The unwilling spy gently lifted the trapdoor - surprised to discover how easy it is to lift - just enough to keep the spiders in and toss a small object inside. The "small object" playing this part was the ring. He tossed it in and slammed the trapdoor down, holding it shut.

Nothing seemed to happen for a moment until there was a muffled "boom" and the ground slightly shook. Clearly, Smithers's take on "small explosion" was much different than Alex's.

Artemis let out a small gasp when the ground shook which, thankfully, no one else heard. He erased that moment from his memory and retained his calm and focused expression.

Butler seemed to tense up even more as Alec looked at the trapdoor in awe. Was that a ring Alex threw in there? Where did he get such technology? How did it get past his security?

When the shaking stopped, silence filled the room. The room was quiet enough to hear the faint laugh track of the TV in the room across from the kitchen, which had its door closed. The Rider heir was the first to break the silence.

"Go ahead Alex," he said, his voice bouncing off the walls, "Open it."

Alex hesitated and threw the trapdoor open. The sight the four saw was rather disturbing.

There had to be hundreds of the eight legged bastards. Each were taken out by the explosion, which did a good deal of damage to the cellar walls. The steps were covered with tarantula corpses and at the bottom of the stairs was the tiny ring, the blast having blown back any unfortunate arachnids.

Alex stood up and let Alec walk down the stairs, who seemed slightly taken aback by the number of critters. Alex followed behind with the heavy steps of Butler behind him. He assumed Artemis was following along as well, knowing the manservant wouldn't leave his charge unattended.

As Alec kicked dead spiders out of the way and seemed to wander aimlessly in the extremely dim light, Alex stopped and picked up the ring. It was completely intact and appears to have no external differences. As he studied it, a pale hand seemed to come from nowhere and snatch it from him.

"Fascinating," Artemis remarked, squinting to see the accessory in the darkness, "It has the form of a ring yet serves as an explosive. Although, somehow it _releases_ the explosion, keeping itself intact for future use. Also-" The boy paused as he closed one eye and held the ring up to his other. Alex and Butler became two blobs of orange. "-It can also be used to identify heat signatures. Now, how did someone like you acquire something like this?"

Before Alex could reply, there was a "_click-click_" and light lit up the room. The trio looked over at the source and saw Alec releasing a beaded string; the switch for the lone light in the cellar. The light not only revealed the immense amount of dead cobalt blue tarantulas, but also a single, slumped body at the back of the cellar, leaning against the wall.

"How odd," the twelve year old Irish boy muttered as he gazed through the ring, "There's still a faint heat signature emitting from him. Surely he's been deceased for more than thirty minutes . . ."

As if to confirm this, Alec knelt down in front of the body and put two fingers to its neck. "No pulse," he announced, "But his skin is slightly warm. Maybe the blast killed him?"

"Impossible," Artemis scoffed, "He couldn't of survived with hundreds of tarantulas around him. He would have no access to edible resources and it would be simple to irritate one of the creatures."

"Then, _Arty_, how did he die?"

Shockingly, Artemis didn't know what to say. It was a rare experience that had only happened once or so in his life. It took him a moment to come up with a half-decent conclusion.

"Perhaps he isn't human."

Alec grimaced and grabbed the head of the body by the hair. He lifted it up and looked at the face, which was covered in dirt and grime but looked certainly human once picked off.

"He looks damn human to me . . ." Alec Rider mumbled.

"Thailand."

The blue-haired youth looked back at Artemis in confusion, who was now wearing his trademark smile.

"This man has Thai features. It would explain this particular breed of arachnid. I have every reason to believe this man was Mr. and Mrs. Rider's murderer."

The silence Artemis's words brought seemed to hang in the air for a long moment. Alec stood up and looked the Junior Fowl in the eye.

"So let me get this straight," he began, "The man who killed my parents brought hundreds of spiders into my mansion _without my knowing, _hid in the unused wine cellar _with _the spiders, and has been alive up until Alex's bomb-ring killed him. Therefore, he would have to be inhuman to be able to accomplish this. Does that sound about right, Fowl?"

Artemis suppressed a sigh and spoke slowly, trying to think of a better explanation. "Well, we don't have anything better to go with. It's the most plausible explanation."

"_Plausible?"_ Alec shouted, his voice echoing throughout the cellar, "Okay, Fowl. I'm gonna start picking your _plausible _explanation apart. First, why did he kill my parents and hide out _inside _the house?"

"To get to you next, of course." This was the only part Artemis was certain about. "He dropped off the bodies and went into hiding, waiting for the perfect opportunity to have you join them in eternal rest."

"And how did he get inside-"

"Your security isn't as great as you think it is," Artemis smirked. Alec scowled and continued his argument.

"There's no way to prove he isn't human. The only thing inhuman here is how he survived without alerting the attention of anyone. Besides, what else could he be? One of your stupid fairies?"

"Do you have any other explanation?"

"Hey, you're the genius."

"And the genius remains with his theory," Artemis concluded with a smirk. Alec started cursing under his breath as he pushed past Artemis (who he _accidentally_ bumped shoulders with) and the other two, storming back upstairs. The other three followed him back upstairs, watching him pace back and forth in anger.

"I'll look into this matter later," Alec said, stopping and looking up at Alex, "But for now, why don't you tell me who _you _are. You aren't just some normal kid to have technology like _that._"

Alex looked over at Artemis, who was still studying the ring. Then he looked at Butler, who seemed to be eying him. Alex gulped and turned to look at Alec again.

"Alright then," he said calmly, "I'll tell you everything."

And that's what Alex did. He told them about MI6 and how he came from the future. He told them about the time machine in the Rider treasury. Alec's eyes widened and he took this moment to interrupt.

"You know where it is?" he asked, unable to believe what he was hearing.

Alex nodded. He knew it was dangerous to tell them this but he had no other choice. How else could he get to his time?

"Father said I would find it when I was ready," Alec mumbled, looking down at the ground. He raised his eyes to meet Alex's gaze and spoke up.

"Show me where it is."

So the spy guided the rich company to the back corridor with the dead end. He lifted up the floorboard as Alec knelt down. Confused, he took out the box sitting inside and attempted to open it. When he failed, he noticed a four digit number lock attached to the side of the box. The boy sat in silence for a moment, thinking of the combo. It didn't take him long to give up and pull the lever removing the box revealed.

The corridor shuddered as the wall in front of them slid open, kicking up dirt clouds. The room ahead lit up as soon as the door stopped opening, revealing the Rider treasury.

As the group walked in, the only difference Alex noticed was the lack of the gold bar in the corner. For the most part, everything seemed to be in the same place. The eldest teenager walked over to the time machine, hoping it would work.

Alec was looking around in awe, never having been in this room before. He had brought the small metal box with him, attempting to work out the combination in his mind.

Butler stood beside Artemis as he rummaged through stacks of files. Blueprints, theories, maps, reports, letters . . . A certain file seemed to intrigue the boy, bringing a small smile to his features.

"Butler . . ." he mumbled, passing the file back to his bodyguard. No one noticed as the bulky man slipped the small file into his suit. Artemis had to remember to look into the theory if his fairy plan went up in smoke. Not that it would, as it was foolproof. But he would keep it anyways - just in case.

The two Riders stood in front of the time machine in silence, not particularly sure on what they should say. Suddenly, Alec's eyes lit up and he looked at the box in his hands. He smiled and turned the dial so the four numbers read "0623". He didn't seem surprised when the box popped open once he attempted to open it. The sole thing that was inside slipped out and hit the ground - a folded piece of paper. Alec put down the box and picked up the paper, unfolding it hastily. Another folded paper - much smaller than the first - fell out. Alex bent down to pick it up as Alec looked at the other one. The spy recognized the print as Mr. Rider's handwriting but his son crumpled the paper in his hand before he would read it, seeming slightly stricken with grief. Suddenly, Alec Junior smirked and took the folded paper from Alex's hands.

"These must be the blueprints to the time machine," Alec announced before he finished unfolding the paper, "It's incomplete. Father needed one last thing to finish it . . ."

He looked back at Artemis, who was now looking over calmly, raising an eyebrow when he met Alec's gaze.

The blue-haired boy looked triumphant. "Gold. That was the last piece. He didn't know how much he needed so he looked into the theory about the fairies. I thought it was odd how he openly contacted you about silly fictional creatures. Then he requested I ask you for a share of gold in case something were to happen to him. Now it makes sense. I don't know how he came to the conclusion that gold would help but I'll do whatever it takes to complete this machine. One, to get Alex home, and two, to please my parents."

Alec's eyes seemed to glaze over at the mention of his parents, his smile fading away. Alex's expression stayed neutral.

"So basically . . ." the fair-haired teen began, "I'm trapped here until we find some fairies?"

"I'll try and look for a substitute," Alec said, already heading towards the safes. His fingerprint allowed it to open effortlessly. "That or I'll make some calls and find someone with gold to spare. But, yes, for now you'll have to wait."

Alex sighed and left the room, having no more business there. Basically, he was screwed. What if there were no fairies? Would he ever return to his original time? Questions raced through his mind as his mood seemed to dampen every second. He decided he would watch some television in the meantime, maybe talk to the two girls.

As he entered the "living room", he noticed something very wrong. First, the girls were nowhere in sight. And second, there was a neat little note lying on the table, no larger than a cue card, its clear cursive dying to be read.

_Alec Rider, I have your adorable little "guests". Go to the address on the back of this note if you'd like to see them. Even though you probably don't. Do whatever you wish. I assure you they'll have a pleasant time with me.  
- Anonymous_


	8. Adieu, See You in the Future?

I FINALLY UPDATED! I've been working on this chapter little by little ever since I finished the last one. Then a few days ago I'm like "OKAY. I WILL FINISH THIS." So, here is the finale. With lots of talking! Stay tuned for an extra chapter after this~! And thank you for reading, reviewing, and subscribing~!

**Plot so far: **Alex Rider accidentally wound up in the past after poking around with a time machine. He met teenage genius Artemis Fowl the Second and his butler, Butler. The two are in search of "The People", which is another name for fairies. Alec Rider I called the fairy hunters to his home to tell them more about the People and Alex tagged along in hope to return to his own time. Unfortunately, Alec Rider I and his wife were murdered before the information could be revealed, leaving only their son to find out what they knew and help out Fowl. Along the way, they discovered the Riders' possible murderer and dragged a few unwilling (and unwanted) guests into the home. Said guests have been kidnapped and the only evidence is a small note . . .

* * *

Alex rushed back into the Rider lab/treasury with the note in hand. Alec was now fiddling with some wires in the time machine while Artemis was still browsing through the files. The twelve-year old Rider's head snapped up when he heard Alex run in. The young spy showed Alec the note, whose expression turned into one of pure anger after he finished reading it.

"That _bastard!_" Alec shouted, shocking the others in the room, "How the hell did he get in here without _me_ knowing?"

"Like I said," Artemis began with a smirk, "Your security isn't as great as you thought."

Alec glared at Artemis and read the note over and over, making sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Then he flipped it over and memorized the address on the back.

"_No one _is allowed to break into MY home and get away with it! This bastard is going to pay!"

The boy stormed out of the room, crushing the note and throwing it in a random direction. It happened to land in front of Artemis, who picked it up and examined it.

"The kidnapper is most likely male. He's left-handed, shown by the pencil smudge in the writing. He's important - or, he _thinks_ he important - since he took the time to write a note. Neatly, at that. The man assumes he can outwit Mr. Rider."

Alex blinked. Artemis was like a young Sherlock Holmes. Except he didn't always use his genius for good.

"By the way, you can have this back," Artemis said, tossing the ring lightly through the air. Alex grabbed at it frantically before holding it tightly in his hand. The Irish youth smirked slightly.

_You wouldn't be smiling if you were blown to bits, _Alex thought bitterly, slipping the ring on his finger and turning to follow Alec. He wanted to help in some way, feeling like a burden and an outcast. Although, he always felt like an outcast so that wasn't anything new. He was also curious to how the kidnapper snuck in the manor without alerting anyone.

Alec walked swiftly out of the manor, Alex jogging to keep up. The younger of the two turned to look at Alex in confusion upon the sound of his footsteps.

"You don't need to help me. Just stay here with Fowl. This is my problem so I'm going to deal with it."

The young spy shook his head. "I want to help too. Also, you never liked the girls. How do I know you won't just stand by and watch something horrible happen to them?"

That seemed to hit Alec. "I'm not _that _much of an ass, Alex. Us Riders stand for justice. No matter how illegal we have to fall; we won't let the innocent burn from our decisions."

"Well, I'm a Rider too."

The Canadian blinked and _actually_ looked at Alex. He could pick out features that were similar to his own family - the blond hair he and his father used to share; the dark brown eyes his cousin wore. Then deep within those eyes were pain from traumatizing memories and experiences. He wouldn't be surprised if they were related.

"Alright then, I suppose you can come," Alec said, starting to back towards the manor, "Give me a minute, alright?"

Alex watched curiously as his possible relative jogged back to his mansion of a home, leaving him alone in the night. The pre-summer night chill pricked at his skin, making him shiver. Alec returned a few moments later with an average-looking skateboard and a mischievous grin.

"The place isn't that far," the boy assured, dropping the skateboard and pushing it over to Alex with his foot. "You know how to skateboard, right?"

Alex nodded and stopped the skateboard from rolling. "What will you do?"

Alec's grin grew wider, starting to make the fair-haired boy feel uneasy. He tapped the toe of his shoe on the ground and a skateboard, identical to the one at Alex's feet, seemed to materialize from nowhere at the bottom of Alec's shoe.

The boy seemed to read Alex's mind. "It's not magic. Just some Rider technology. The skateboard particles are stored within the shoe and rearrange themselves one they're released. Cool, huh?"

Alec was smiling happily like a child on Christmas morning. It was this moment when Alex remembered the boy in front of him was still only twelve years old. Mature enough to understand the mechanics behind it and young enough to still be marveled by it. Alec got on the skateboard and started rolling away and out to the sidewalk.

"Hurry up, Alex!" he called, laughing for no apparent reason. "You said you wanted to help, right?"

The boy blinked and got up on the skateboard to follow him. Alec had suddenly seemed cheery about this dilemma, despite everything that was happening to his life.

The two rolled swiftly down the sidewalk in the night, the wind biting at Alex's skin. The other Rider didn't seemed bothered by it, which didn't surprise Alex at all. Alec was about half a dozen metres ahead of Alex, casually cruising down the cement at a quick pace.

Soon after, the two stopped in front of an average sized house. It has two floors and the lights were off inside. Alec pushed his skateboard into a push as he walked onto the porch, Alex doing the same before following behind. As the blue-haired boy calmly reached out for the doorknob, the elder Rider stopped him.

"You can't go in there unarmed! Are you crazy?"

"Oh, right." Alec reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun, startling Alex. He didn't expect the twelve year old to be carrying a weapon with him. Although, it was obvious when he thought about it.

Alec started talking again, bringing Alex out of his shock. "I would give you my other one but the triggers are fingerprint sensitive. Sorry."

_He has **two**__ with him! _"Ah, that's alright . . ."

The younger boy grinned mischievously and reached out to open the door. As the door surprisingly opened effortlessly, Alex couldn't help but hope this boy didn't grow up to try his hand at world domination. He had a feeling he would succeed in blowing up half the world if he tried.

The Riders quietly walked into the dark house. Alec walked casually, his footsteps completely silent. Alex put a bit more work into staying quiet but was equally silent.

After a short time of walking, the duo came across a door with lights flashing underneath it. Muffled voices could be heard but no words could be made out. Suddenly, a female scream echoed from beyond the door.

Alec grabbed the doorknob and threw it open. When it slammed against the wall, a pair of screams joined the first one. The boys calmed down when they noticed the two screams were from Taylor and Katrina, who were watching a horror movie in the dark.

Alec's relief was quickly hidden by a mask of anger. "Here we are, fucking _worried_ _sick _about you two and you're both surrounded by sugar and entertainment."

The girls seemed guilty and upset at Alec's tone. Katrina was the first to compose herself. "You're just jealous we are pretty enough to get a half-decent kidnapper."

_"Pretty?" _Alec gawked before laughing sarcastically. "I wouldn't call you two _pretty._ Maybe-"

The words seemed to get caught in his throat and he thought for a moment. Alex noticed the uncertainty on his face, assuming the boy didn't like what he was about to say.

"Yes, stupid works," he said aloud, "You both are stupid. Stupid little girls who can't defend themselves."

"Duh, that's what you were for," Taylor mumbled.

Alec sighed as the girls laughed a bit. "What did the kidnappers look like?"

"Kidnapper," the blonde corrected, "There was only one. And he-"

"_One?_" He couldn't hide the shock on his face. "_One_ person dragged you both all the way here? Jesus, you two are fucking _useless!_"

Taylor seemed hurt. She looked down at the floor as Katrina gave Alec an angry look. "Dude, chill. He could probably beat the _crap_ out of you!"

Alec shook his head in disbelief. "Impossible. What does he look like?"

"Well he-" she stopped abruptly, suddenly confused. "I- Well . . . He was really cute . . . Erm . . ."

"Thanks but I'm straight," Alec sighed.

Taylor finally spoke up, a smug look on her face. "Really? I could've sworn you were gay."

Katrina shook her head. "No way, not with _that_ body."

The blue-haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose, closed his eyes, and mentally counted to five. His voice was more threatening than he intended it to be. "What did the kidnapper look like?"

The girls snapped their attention back to Alec. They looked at each other, thinking.

"Well, I think his hair was black . . ."

"No, wasn't it brown?"

"Ah, maybe it was blond . . ."

"Oh, and didn't he have brown eyes?"

"No, they were blue!"

"Were they? I can't remember . . ."

"I-I think so . . ."

"Oi, ladies," Alec said, impatient, "Make up your bloody minds!"

"British!" Katrina exclaimed, "I think he was British!"

"British? No, he wasn't British . . ."

"You don't remember the appearance of your kidnapper?" Alec shook his head in disgust.

"It all happened so quickly!" Taylor protested, trying really hard to remember. "His hair- it was brown and short-"

"No, blond!" Katrina interjected.

"Quiet!" her friend hissed. Surprisingly, the brunette did just that. The blonde girl concentrated, apparently trying very hard to remember. "His . . . His hair was brown, as were his eyes. He had that look - the "you-should-feel-honored-to-be-in-my-presence" look. He . . . He was kind of like Alec."

Said Alec raised an eyebrow. "Like me?"

Taylor nodded. It was silent until she spoke up again. "I-I think . . ."

"You think." Alec still couldn't believe she _forgot _her kidnapper.

"I think. No, I'm ninety-five percent sure . . . Maybe eighty . . ."

Alex had taken this time to look around the room as the three continued to banter about the kidnapper and their memories. The television was massive (the size of Alec's, he assumed) and was in perfect condition. He wouldn't be surprised if it was newly bought. Candy wrappers littered the floor, half-empty drinks lay on the table, and blankets and pillow surrounded the girls. A small, elegantly written note with a crumb of gold taped on it caught his attention. He recognized the kidnapper's handwriting instantly.

_Mr. Rider;  
I apologize I had to leave in such a hurry - I was called away for an important matter. Nevertheless, the girls are completely unharmed. Although, I'd advise treating them with more **respect** and **compassion** (which you are clearly incapable of regarding women) lest I must return to receive your pay. However, I have a feeling we'll be meeting in person very soon either way.  
- A Compassionate God  
P.S.: Tell my petite blonde goddess I said "hello".  
P.S.S.: The gold is a gift to help with your predicament. Don't lose it._

"Oi, oi," Alec said from over Alex's shoulder, looking displeased, "Someone has a massive ego. A "compassionate God"? Who the hell does he think he is?"

"Maybe it's a reference to Cupid," Taylor said, getting up and snatching the note from the fair-haired boy. After reading it over, she continued. "Yup. Cupid is giving you relationship and friendship advice. And if you continue to be mean, revenge will be had."

The twelve-year old Rider didn't seem to buy it. "Where does it say _that?_"

"_ . . . lest I must return to receive your pay," _she quoted, then added sourly: "Are you really incapable of reading into things?"

Katrina interrupted whatever response Alec was going to give by swiping the note from Taylor and squealing in delight. "Lookie! He called you a blonde goddess!"

"I'm sure he's mistaken-"

Alec drowned out whatever the "blonde goddess" was going to say with his usual sarcastic tone. "Yeah, she's totally a freakin' goddess. Most attractive eleven-year old I've ever seen. Y'know, he's probably some pedophile with a mental disability."

"You're such a jerk! You're probably just jealous!"

"Jealous of _what?_"

Taylor sighed. "Guys, stop. Alec is right."

They both looked at her, dumbstruck.

"I am?"

"He is?"

The blonde took the note back from Katrina and turned it over in her fingers. "Like he said, it's probably just some creeper. Although, your average creeper usually doesn't talk like a male seductress, write like a poetic God, abandon two innocent and helpless girls in a house, and have an ego big enough to call himself "God". Also, it's not considered pedophilia unless the two people involved are five or more years apart."

"Wait a minute," Alex took this moment to speak up. "So he was a teenager?"

Taylor nodded. "Well, yeah, I think so. I think he was about your age. Maybe."

Alec rolled his eyes. "_Now_ you remember something about him. And how was I right again? You just contradicted everything I just said."

"Ah . . . Well, like you said, I'm nowhere near the perfection of a goddess. I'm not very pretty nor graceful or any of the many things men like to see in a woman."

"Don't say that . . ." Alec mumbled, loud enough for the other Rider to hear. Taylor didn't seem to notice.

"I would like to know how he knew about the gold," Alex commented. Everyone brought the gold to their attention.

"Erm . . . Maybe he overheard?" Alec didn't seem very confident.

"Hm? What's the gold needed for?"

The girls looked at the boys in confusion. The Riders shared a quick glance before Alec spoke up, shockingly enthusiastic.

"It's for science! The study of time travel~!"

The two looked at each other in disbelief then started laughing. "Well, I think we should go home," Katrina said, between fits of laughter. "First kidnapping, and now time travel! This is totally out of my league. This wasn't the best idea, was it?"

The youngest of the quartet shook her head with a smile. "No, no it was not. This is the last time I ever choose "dare"."

Alec watched them laugh, oblivious to what they were talking about.

-x-

Two hours later, the group had returned to the Rider Manor and the girls called for someone to pick them up. The house was now eerily quiet without them, everyone gathered within the Rider treasury.

"There!" Alec exclaimed with a smile, bringing the three room occupants out of their thoughts. They all walked over to the time machine. "It _should _work. Though I can't say for sure since I can't really test it . . ."

"Guess I'm the guinea pig then," Alex remarked.

"It must work," Artemis intervened, "If it didn't, you wouldn't be here. The whole reason it was built is because you came to the past and are returning to the future. Since it works in the future, and you are in the future, it must work in the past. If it didn't work, it wouldn't have worked in the future, and, therefore, Alex would not be here."

"My head hurts," Alec said absently. "So he came to the past _because_ it works then. And it works now because he goes back to the future. Is that what you're saying, Fowl?"

"That's the basis of it, yes."

"I think my mind was just raped."

"Well, wait a minute," Alex cut in, remembering a question that has been floating at the back of his mind for quite some time, "Since I've met Alec in the past, why doesn't he know me in the future?"

The room grew silent for a moment before Artemis brought forth his theories again.

"Perhaps some sort of mind-wipe occurred between now and then."

"Let me guess - fairies have the technology to erase memories?" Alec rolled his eyes. "I'll keep on the look out for tiny people with wings then."

"_Or,"_ the teenage genius began, "It could simply be from a perfectly natural cause that can be easily explained. Or perhaps the future Alec Rider is hiding the fact he knows Alex for some unexplained reason."

The present Alec Rider sighed loudly. "This whole thing is too confusing. Alex, say hi to the future me for me, okay?"

Alex nodded and opened the door to the time machine. As he stepped in, he heard the Irish youth's voice once more.

"Ah, Alex, one more thing," Artemis said, "In the future, do you know if Mr. Rider the Second owns a couple carats of gold?"

The boy thought for a moment. "Well, I think so. Why?"

There was that chill-inducing vampire smirk again. "Oh, just curious. Good-bye, little spy. Perhaps we'll cross again in the near future."

_I hope not, _Alex thought grimly to himself as he closed the door. Vaguely remembering what he did two years from now, he pressed a few buttons until lights flashed and he felt a sudden lightheadedness. The world seemed to spin around him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

-x-

" . . . . . lex . . . Alex, wake up!"

Alex Rider slowly opened his eyes, suddenly aware of the numb pounding in every limb in his body. A distraught fourteen-year old Alec stood above him, who instantly calmed down when Alex opened his eyes.

"Jesus, that was the second longest ten seconds of my life! What the hell happened to you?"

The fair-haired Rider slowly sat up, the pain slowly dissipating as his senses returned to him.

"Well, I went to the past," he said simply.

"How far?"

"When your parents died."

There seemed to be a flicker of emotion in the boy's eyes before he smiled sadly. "Well, at least it's one less story to tell." He paused. "Wait a minute, if you were in my past, I should remember you . . ."

"So you _don't _remember me?"

As Alex shakily stood up, Alec continued talking. "My memory from those few days has always been a little hazy but I just figured it was because it was a tragic moment. But to forget a person I had met?"

"Actually, there were me and two others. This kid named Artemis Fowl and his bodyguard."

Alec was silent for a moment. "Fowl . . . That name rings a bell . . ." He sighed. "Well, no point in recalling the past. The past is the past and this is the present."

There was an odd silence for a few moments until Alec spoke up again.

"On with the tour? Again?"

Alex was led out of the Rider treasury and the Rider duo began walking up to the second floor. Anther nagging question was brought forth in Alex's mind.

"Hey, why is this place so similar to how it was in the past?"

"A tribute to the departed," Alec said, "And I rather like keeping things the same. My family used to move around a lot before they died. I was going to move some things around a few months ago but . . ."

He stopped walking at the top of the stairs and looked at Alex. "My, ah . . . Female friend convinced me not to. And by convinced, I mean she never gave me time to. Well, here's the last stop of the tour."

The fair-haired boy watched in confusion as Alec removed a loose floorboard and retrieved a long cane. He used it to reach up at the trap door on the ceiling and pop it open. After a few more seconds he pulled a wooden ladder down as well. He smiled, watching the cane as he twirled it in his fingers.

"Guests first."

Alex hesitated before climbing up the ladder and entered the "attic" of the house.

_If_ it could be called an attic.

This "attic" was what Alex assumed as the Rider's personal library. There were rows of shelves filled with hundreds of books. Upon closer inspection, they were of different genres and languages, some completely unknown to the boy. At the back of the room was a spot dedicated to colourful bean chairs and an expensive looking couch. For that one spot, there was a fuzzy black carpet. Then, along the walls and the ceiling was one large mural - hand-painted - which showed many different scenes (abstract and landscapes) that flowed into one another.

"This is the Rider library, also used as an art room at times," Alec said, who had cllimbed up the ladder shortly after Alex had. He still had the cane in his hand, gripping it tighter than before. "The art on the wall as made by my girl-" He stopped himself from whatever he was going to say. "By my friend. After school she used to come over and paint while we did homework. Then when summer vacation started, she only painted every few days."

Alec's smile faded with his last sentence. Alex knew summer vacation was almost over - there was only about a month left until school started again. He had to ask the question. "What happened after?"

"She had to go up to North bay with her parents," he replied. He seemed slightly upset at the fact. "Four hours from here. She comes back in a couple weeks." Then he smiled again. "You're here for three weeks, right? Maybe you'll get to meet her. I think my cousin might be coming to visit too . . ."

A sudden _thud _and the creak of the floorboards silenced Alec. The blue-haired Rider tightened his grip of the cane and flipped it around so the hooked end was facing up. Alex became tense, looking around for the source of the sound.

"Y'know, I thought it was strange when I had been accused of illegal activities," Alec said loudly but calmly, casually walking past the rows of shelves. "But, it would make sense if it was just someone using my name and address for everything. But that means they would have to be in my house, right?"

He paused for a moment and stopped walking, about fifteen feet away from Alex. "Though, this isn't very hard to believe. When someone is lucky enough to get past my security, they would hide. And it would be reasonable to assume the intruder would hide in the one place I haven't checked in weeks."

An eerie silence settled over the room and its occupants. Alec spoke again, getting irritated. "Oi, if you give yourself up now, I'll be sure to shorten your prison sentence."

Suddenly, Alex's animal instinct kicked in. He spun around, lifting his leg and driving his heel into a man's torso. The man gasped and stumbled back. The teenage spy noticed the man dropped a knife. Alex picked it up, feeling more relaxed with it.

Alec calmly walked over, chuckling slightly. "Nice job. Maybe we are related, Alex. It would be nice to know I have more than a single cousin to depend on if something happens to me."

The man suddenly laughed, bringing the attention back to him. He was probably middle-aged and had short black hair. His eyes were mud brown and it seemed he had been up here for a few days, judging on the uncleanliness of him.

"Another bratty kid for the underworld to fear, eh?" the man said in a raspy voice. His unfocused gaze made Alex assume he was on some sort of drug. "Well, Mr. Rider, _God_ wants to know where his goddess is. Thanks for telling me, by the way. North Bay, huh . . . ?"

_God? Goddess? _Alex was reminded of the kidnapper's note two years ago. Was it the same person?

Alec's calmness was overtaken by rage and guilt before he made a very serious face. Alex recognized it as the same glare he had given Artemis two years prior. "If you or any of your colleagues so much as get within fifty feet to her location, your death will be the first illegal act I will preform."

The man laughed again. "I don't believe you have it in you, boy."

The boy smirked slightly as he took the cane apart, a sword inside. "If you don't get the hell out of my house in ten seconds, we shall see about that."

"Honestly, kid, you can't be seriou-"

"Ten," Alec began. He drove the sword into the ground and leaned on it. "Nine."

Apparently, that was enough to convince the man as he jumped through the trap door and ran down the stairs, his feet heavy against the floor. Alec stopped counting as soon as he heard the door open and took out his cell phone, dialling a number.

"Would've you actually killed him?" Alex asked.

"Nah," Alec said, cutting the call on the first ring, "I don't fight with bladed weapons. If I had a gun, maybe. Besides, the police will catch him before he gets the chance to report back to his boss. There are hidden cameras set up along the boundaries of the property. And they register my calls so they'll know it's someone to look out for."

Alex smiled slightly, never ceasing to be impressed at what Alec was capable of. _Now I know not to get on his bad side when he has a gun._

-x-

For the next two weeks, Alex actually enjoyed his reconnaissance-vacation MI6 put him on. He and his possible relative had been all over the country in the short time doing whatever was available. Surfing, water-skiing, snowboarding, sky-diving, bungee jumping, and tons of other things Alex never thought he'd do unless he was in a life-or-death situation.

He'd also learned more about Alec. His only known relative was his cousin named Lina, who was currently living in Hawaii, but often moved every few months. The "female friend" he mentioned multiple times was actually the same "Taylor" he had met two years prior (though he had no memory of the moment when Alex brought it up) although he called her "Aqua" since she preferred that name.

Also, apparently the blue dye in his hair was a permanent mishap from when he was a young child. His mother was trying to make an everlasting hair dye, making it your natural hair colour for life. The container fell on his head. Obviously, they never found a way to reverse it (though he apparently liked his new hair colour over his blond birth-hair colour).

After two weeks, the two were back at the Rider manor for the rest of the vacation. Alex had noticed Alec was much more glum than usual, doing nothing but sitting on the couch and attempting to call someone every five minutes. The fair-haired boy didn't want to bother him so he kept quiet.

A few hours later, Alec finally spoke to Alex, obviously upset over something.

"Hey Alex . . ." he began, refusing to put down his phone or look at the boy he was talking to. "Would you mind if you went back to London?"

Alex didn't expect that question. "Uh, of course not. Why?"

"Aqua is supposed to be home today . . ." he said, "I told her to come straight here as soon as she was home but she hasn't responded to any of my texts or calls all day. I tried calling her parents not long ago and they said she already left to come here _two hours ago_. I'm getting kind of worried . . . She usually gets lost but not _this_ lost."

Whenever Alec spoke about Taylor, Alex always noticed he had a hint of care and adoration in his voice. He was beginning to assume there were more than just "friendly feelings" towards her. "We could go look for her if you'd like."

Alec shook his head. "No, I have a bad feeling about this. This has egotistical stalker written all over it. Remember that guy that was hiding in the attic a couple weeks ago?"

Alex nodded and Alec continued. "Well, he works for this guy who is pretty much _smitten _with her. He's the kind of guy that could have any woman but insists on the one he absolutely _can't_ have."

The spy picked up on the rage creeping into Alec's voice. He calmed himself down before he continued. "I swear, he's not normal. It's like he can _hypnotize_ people. Aqua had some sort of feelings for him until-"

The Rider heir stopped talking and went silent, refusing to say anymore on the subject. Alex could only guess how he was going to end that sentence.

And so, within the next twenty-four hours, Alex had been convinced (and forced) to return back to his home. He was alone on the private jet (the very same one he flew on two years ago with a pale genius and a massive butler) and home as the sun was setting the very next day.

Upon arrival, he was instantly redirected to the Royal & General Bank by who he assumed were MI6 members. He had parted with his luggage and was now seated in the same office that began this mess. Jet-lag had thrown him into a daze but the very gray Mr. Blunt didn't seem to care in the slightest.

"Mr. Alec Rider told us you would be returning early, Alex," Alan Blunt said, having no patience for hellos or other pleasantries. "Do you perhaps know why?"

"He was worried about his girlfriend," Alex said without hesitation. He remembered it was all the boy talked about since the day before she was to return home. First he was full of joy. Then the next day he was completely out of it, uncoordinated and distracted when he discovered she was missing.

There was a peculiar silence in the room. Mrs. Jones broke it after a few moments of consideration. "Are you sure?"

"Yup."

More silence. Blunt spoke up again. "Well, Alex, did you discover anything in pertaining to the rumours?"

"Someone broke into Alec's home and was using his name and address for illegal activities. Nothing illegal about the family itself. Can I go home now?"

Mr. Blunt thought Alex must have missed something since the family was very suspicious. They had discovered the parents of Alec Rider the Second died years ago just shortly after Alex left. How do you hide something like that for all this time?

A dozen minutes of questions later, Alex was returning back to his home by foot. All worries of Scorpia's possible attacks were drowned out by exhaustion. The moment he entered his home, Jack Starbright approached him with a hug. She seemed pleased that Alex had no new wounds from his recent adventure.

"It's good to see you home, Alex!" she said cheerfully, bringing a slight smile to Alex's lips. "And for once, you're not in a hospital! So, how was your little vacation?"

Alex thought about everything that had happened. He was sent back in time and met a boy in search of fairies. Two people died, two more were kidnapped (but rescued - unharmed). Then he spent two weeks completely out of danger.

Then he realized not once he was actually faced towards death.

Alex smiled even more. "It was the best vacation I've had in a long time."

* * *

Mm . . . I wanted to try and stick some action in this chapter but I settled with just dialogue. So, if you like dialogue, here you go!

However, if you like action, you'll have to wait until the spin-off sequels are up and released. I promise much more fighting and less everything else.

So for the Artemis Fowl fans: Look out for **Artemis Fowl: The Xalcian Speculation** if you want to see what that file contained and an adventure involving magick, demons, and psychotic creatures hell-bent on destroying a magickal world.

And for the beloved Alex Rider fans: See more Rider adventures when Alex discovers family in **Riders** (name subject to change) and gets himself involved in deeper parts of the criminal underworld that go beyond Scorpia and fights for his life.

Now, I must bid you all adieu, for I will refrain from adding author notes on the extra chapter that will answer one big question I'm sure everyone has been asking. Any other questions shall most likely be answered in their respective sequels.

And, since there was less action than expected in this story, I may make another Artemis Fowl X Alex Rider crossover, but this time add a third series to ensure action. **AF X AR X Detective Conan** anyone?

Thank you for reading~! I hope you enjoyed it. And if you didn't, thanks anyways. :p


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